All For One
by Siena Christmas
Summary: Kidnapping cases are always difficult, but when the victim is Danny? Stress levels just hit a whole new high. Because there aren't enough Danny-goes-missing stories. DannyWHUMP and TeamANGST
1. Chapter 1

_**Title:**_ _All For One_

 _ **Summary**_ _: Kidnapping cases are always difficult, but when the victim is Danny? Stress levels just hit a whole new high._

 _Because there aren't enough Danny-goes-missing stories. DannyWHUMP and TeamANGST_

 _ **A/N:**_ _Hi, everyone! Here's my first attempt at a story with multiple chapters. Please bear with me as I try not to screw up the plot or write myself into a dark and scary corner!_

 _Alright, I know this chapter seems a little short, but I promise that there are longer ones in store._

 _I hope you all get some satisfaction from this; let me know what you think!_

 _Here we go! Let's get this show on the road..._

 _ **Disclaimer:**_ _Let it be 'duly noted' that I neither own nor claim to own any part, person, or plot line of the Hawaii Five-0 franchise._

 _My story is pending._

 ** _Chapter One_**

It was a known fact that Danny Williams liked to talk.

He liked to gesture with his arms.

He liked to be free to do what and go where he pleased.

Unfortunately, having zip-ties secured tightly around his wrists and ankles and having his mouth duct-taped shut sort of limited his abilities to do...well, anything.

Squeezing his eyes shut, Danny tried to rouse up his recent memories, and felt a disturbing pit settle in his stomach when he realized the last thing he remembered was falling asleep on the couch in his living room. He didn't recall any sort of break-in, or a struggle, or being _taken._ He didn't know what time it was, how long he had been here, or even _why_ he was here.

This was, to say in the least, immensely disturbing.

Getting kidnapped really, really sucked.

It sucked _big time._

The only good thing about his current situation was that he seemed to be unharmed. Only his right forearm throbbed a bit, probably from the drug introduced into his bloodstream by whoever had grabbed him. Where or why they had taken him remained a total mystery, one that this detective had no clue how to solve.

Sighing, Danny tried uselessly to move his arms, but the thick, plastic zip-ties were cutting off his circulation and proving to be entirely uncomfortable. Danny wondered if it would be any more comfortable if his arms were tied in front of him rather than behind. He wondered how much the duct-tape would hurt when it was ripped off.

Glancing around, Danny noted the lone naked bulb hanging from the ceiling and the concrete walls and floor. A brown, rusty drain was inlaid in the center of the space, and the temperature was frigid compared to the heat of the Hawaiian air. The room was about six by eight, and Danny hated all of it with a passion.

Cursing his predicament, Danny struggled with the zip-ties and then tried fruitlessly to spit off the duct-tape. (He knew that wouldn't work, but hey, it was worth a try.) Shuffling and rocking, he attempted to move the chair, and realized that it was fastened solidly to the ground.

Of course.

Sighing again loudly, Danny sat still in the cold air and wondered what on earth Steve could have done to get him into this mess, because undoubtedly, this was Steve's fault. The damn Neanderthal Animal gained more enemies every time a case closed than he did thanks for getting the job done. Why did they all go after Steve? He was the most threatening, that's why. Damn crazy super SEAL. Danny was definitely blaming Steve if he didn't get out of this situation alive.

But even so, he would also rely on Steve to bring up Grace with the proper fatherly guidance if he died...

God, these thoughts already? This was not okay. Nowhere near it.

 _I could use one of your insane escape plans right about now_ , _Steven_ , thought Danny. _Any second now..._

But Steve and the rest of the team didn't break down the door, guns flashing. They didn't call out, "Five-0! Let Detective Williams go!" or anything of the sort.

For now, Danny was completely on his own.

He wondered how long he'd been out.

He wondered if anyone knew he was gone.

He wondered if he would remain uninjured for long.

Echoing in the distance, the unmistakable sound of several footfalls reached Danny's ears.

He swallowed, his throat suddenly dry and chalky.

 _I guess I'm about to find out._

Danny wasn't answering his phone, and that didn't sit well with Steve. Normally, Danny would pick up on the first ring and begin to rant about one thing or another. But this time, the phone went to voicemail.

Steve tried the line thrice more before finally giving up with a frustrated huff.

Who knew? Maybe Danny had overslept. Maybe his phone battery had died. Maybe, for once in his life, he just didn't feel like talking...or he was unable to do so...

Steve felt a heavy ball of worry settle in his stomach and, with a wrench of the wheel, whirled the Silverado around. As he sped down the highway, making use of his ultimate immunity, he dialed Danny's number yet again. And yet again, Danny failed to answer.

"Shit," he hissed, slamming the phone down.

Steve drove faster.

Five minutes later, he pulled up in front of Danny's house with screeching tires. Quickly, Steve took in the sight: the Camero was still in the driveway. The house was dark and perfectly quiet. But something was off. Glancing around stealthily, Steve slid out of the Silverado and approached the front door, a cautious hand on his holster. No one seemed to be around, but honestly, you just never knew...

Eyes widening, Steve noticed that the door was partly open. The wood around the lock was splintered; someone had obviously broken in.

 _Not good. Not good at all._

Painfully aware of the situation, Steve pulled his gun and slowly pushed open the door. It swung silently on well-oiled hinges. With laser-like intensity, Steve scanned the first room and, seeing no one, advanced into the house. He checked every room with extreme caution and purpose, and found nothing.

All clear.

Placing his gun back in his holster, Steve focused on searching for signs of Danny. He walked through to the living room and noticed that the coffee table was empty, but paperwork was spread everywhere throughout the room. Upon closer examination, he found that a small lamp had been knocked behind the couch and that a picture had fallen onto the hardwood floor.

Making sure he had gloves on, Steve reached down and carefully, ever so gently, turned it over.

There was blood smeared on the right corner. Small fragments of broken glass sprinkled onto the floor, spiderweb cracks distorting the image.

 _Grace._

Grace's school picture; Danny had had it framed last week and treasured it greatly.

There was no way in hell that, if he'd seen it fall or accidentally knocked it down, he would simply leave it there.

No. Something sinister had happened, if the blood on the frame was anything to go by. Danny was definitely in trouble, and Steve's whole being buzzed in fear and a desire for action.

He picked up his phone and dialed a number.

"Hey, Steve," Chin Ho Kelly immediately answered. "What's going on?"

"Chin, listen," said Steve, getting right down to business. This required instant attention. "Look, I need HPD down at Danny's house ASAP. I need you, Kono and Catherine, bring Max as well and make sure Fong comes with the crime lab truck. I need all hands on deck. Danny's house, now!" Firing off demands any faster would have been impossible.

"Steve, what the hell is going on?" Chin demanded, alarmed. "What happened?"

Steve worked his jaw, then answered with dead serious concern.

"Danny's missing."

 _ **To Be Continued...**_

 _ **P.S.**_ _Uh oh...what are they gonna do?_

 _I'd love to hear your thoughts!_

 _I'll be posting more in a day or two..._


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N:** A great big Camero-load of thanks to all who reviewed, followed, and favorited! It means the world to me that you're enjoying this! _

_Here's the second chapter! Sorry, no Danny in this one, but it's his turn next...hehehe..._

 _Special appearance from our favorite socially awkward coroner!_

 _Happy reading!_

 _ **Disclaimer:** Let it be 'duly noted' that I neither own nor claim to own any part, person, or plot line of the Hawaii Five-0 franchise._

 ** _Chapter Two_**

In less than twenty minutes, Danny's residence was swarming with activity. Knowing the situation was dire, Chin had ordered all HPD units in the right direction as fast as he could, then contacted Kono and Catherine, as well as Max and Charlie.

They were going to need all the help they could get.

"Hey, cuz," Kono jogged up to him just as he was leaving the palace. "What's going on? Danny's missing? How can he be missing?"

"I don't know; Steve called and said we all needed to get to Danny's right away. We need to do everything we can to help find him."

"Does Grace know?" asked Kono. "Or Rachel?"

Chin frowned. "No, I don't think so. Let's wait until Steve gives the order. For now, let's head down to the scene."

"I can't believe this is happening!" Kono exclaimed as the two got into Chin's car. "Who would want take him? He didn't do anything! Everybody loves him!"

"Calm down, cuz," said Chin, though he was filled with anxiety himself. "Everything will be fine. Danny'll be okay."

"I know," Kono sighed. "I just...I feel so bad for Grace. I'm wondering if we should even say anything to her."

Chin agreed. "It's a lot of stress for a kid to handle. Maybe it would make things easier for her."

The two remained silent for the rest of the drive, fears about what they would find at the scene racing through their heads. Worrying about both Danny and Steve, who would undoubtedly be immensely petrified by his partner's disappearance...

Finally, Chin pulled up to the scene and the cousins hopped out. They both noticed that Catherine was already there, listening as her boyfriend animatedly waved his arms about as he spoke. Kono was curious about what was being said, but the two were at a distance.

"Kono!" greeted Charlie Fong, startling the rookie from her surveil. The tall man's young face was devoid of its usual grin, and she felt concern tug even harder at her heart than before.

"Hey, Charlie. What's going on?" said Chin.

"Well, I'm sure you already know, but it looks as if Detective Williams has been kidnapped. I don't know much about how they got in or anything, but I did find this."

Fong held up an evidence bag with a broken picture of Grace inside it. Dark with liquid red, the smear of blood was hard to miss, and Kono gasped. "Is that Danny's blood?" she demanded.

Apologetically, Fong shrugged. "I dunno. I was on my way to the lab to run some tests when you guys showed up."

"Okay," said Chin, "run it to the lab ASAP, and make sure to check for fingerprints. Are they still doing a sweep inside?"

"Yup, they started about ten minutes ago. Commander McGarrett's making sure they don't miss a single centimeter."

"Good," Chin nodded. "I'll go talk to him, see what he's found out. Kono, will you go talk to Max, see if he's found anything?"

"What would Max have found? It doesn't look like there's a body...why did Steve even call him?"

"I dunno...panic, probably. He most likely found something, anyhow."

"Right away, cuz."

With that, the three split off in three separate directions. Chin hoped to God that Charlie would get something from that picture...

Somewhat cautiously, he began to approach Steve and Catherine. The two seemed to be having some sort of argument. Chin meandered close enough to hear, and then patiently waited for them to be done.

"...have to tell her, Catherine!" Steve was exclaiming. "Grace is old enough to know what happened!"

"She's nine, Steve!" Cath cried. "She does not need this stress in her life right now! She needs to be protected!"

"In order to trust us, she needs to know the truth!"

"No, she doesn't. Rachel is the only one who needs to know!"

"You don't think Grace is clever enough to figure out something's not right? She knows her mom like a movie she's seen a thousand times; Grace is very good at telling when something's wrong and she's not going to stop until she knows the truth! And by then, she'll figure out that we've lied to her, and she'll never trust us again."

"She'll panic! She'll have a mental breakdown and have nightmares! You wanna inflict that on a nine-year-old girl, Steve?"

"She needs to know, Cath. Danny would want her to know."

"You can't know what Danny would want."

"Yes, I can! Danny's my best friend, okay, Cath? He's my partner, and he understands me and I understand him. I know...I know he would want me to tell Grace."

Catherine's shoulders slumped. "Okay, Steve," she sighed. "But you'll have to be the one to tell her. I can't...I can't do it."

Steve touched her gently on the arm. "It's okay. I got it."

"Don't you worry, Steve. We'll find Danny." She kissed him on the cheek and walked away, not even seeing the black-haired man standing nearby.

Watching Catherine leave, Chin advanced forward. "Steve," he addressed the SEAL. "Any leads? How'd the guy get in? Anything?"

Steve looked tired, and his voice sounded empty. "Yeah. We know there were at least two guys; they forced the door open with something, and entered the house. Presumably, Danny was in the living room either doing paperwork or napping; the guys came in, grabbed him, there was a struggle...we don't know if the blood on the picture was Danny's, Fong should be testing it right now."

"Yeah, he is. Kono and I met him as we were coming in, confirmed Chin.

Steve sighed, placing his hands on his hips. "Good. I hope to God it isn't Danny's...then I'll have to tell Grace that he's injured as well as missing..."

"So you are going to tell Grace?" Chin asked.

"Please don't argue with me, buddy, I already went through the whole thing with Cath," Steve groaned.

Against his better judgement, Chin nodded. "Are you sure you're doing the right thing, brah?" questioned Chin uncertainly.

Steve took a deep breath.

"Yeah, Chin, I'm sure."

*************

It took Kono awhile to find Max.

Several HPD officers were around, inside the house and out, taking samples, dusting for fingerprints, and questioning the neighbors. Crossing her fingers, Kono hoped that they'd find something, anything, that would help them to bring Danny home safe and sound.

Glancing around, she finally spotted her friend and strode purposefully towards him.

"Ah, Officer Kalakaua!" said Max without any facial expression whatsoever. "Good to see you. Unfortunately, it is not under the best circumstances, as Detective Williams seems to have been kidnapped."

"Hi, Max," replied Kono. "What have you got for me?"

"Well, as there is no cadaver present, my skills as a medical examiner are useless at this time. However, I did manage to find a purpose here."

Kono waited. "What did you find, Max?" she prompted.

"I found, after a substantial amount of time spent wandering uselessly around the scene due to the lack of need for my usual expertise, that the point of entry was the front door. If you will look closely..."

Kono did.

"...you will see the sharp fragments of wood both from the doorframe and the door itself. This leads me to suspect that the door was forced open. This being a fairly sturdy door consisting mainly of oak wood, I gather that the intruder, being of male nature and build, utilized his notable strength to pry open the door with the use of a crowbar."

"A crowbar, huh?" said Kono.

"I believe that is what I stated a moment ago, yes, Officer, that is correct."

"Did any paint fleck off the crowbar? Can you tell?"

Squinting at the splintered wood, Max's face hovered mere centimeters from the door. "I am sorry, Officer, but it seems even with my spectacles, my eyesight is not keen enough to detect any sort of residue left behind when the door was forced open."

"Can I have a look?"

Somewhat reluctantly, Kono thought, Max backed away. "Certainly, Officer Kalakaua. What would you like me to do in the meantime?"

"Um...I guess you can head back to HQ. We'll finish up here."

Max nodded once. "Will do."

"Great work, Max!" shouted Kono as he turned away.

"My pleasure, Officer."

As Max walked away, Kono bent down in order to study the mess of splinters. Closely examining the wood, Kono let out a frustrated huff when she realized that there wasn't any sort of anything left in the remains of the wood. So much for that, she thought.

Hands on her hips, Kono turned around in a full circle. Same sight as before: HPD officers everywhere, Chin talking to Steve, Catherine's bright blue car pulling away down the street...aha! With a grin, Kono's zeroed in on a small box ten feet upwards on a telephone pole: a security camera.

"Cuz!" she called.

Almost immediately, Chin and Steve jogged over. "What's up, Kono?" asked McGarrett.

She couldn't help but smirk at his choice of words. "See for yourself," she urged, pointing at the telephone pole.

Chin grinned and Steve patted Kono on the back appreciatively. "Great work, Kono!" he exclaimed.

He stared upwards at the camera. "We got eyes."

 ** _To Be Continued..._**

 _ **P.S.** Yeah, I know there was pretty much no reason to bring Max in...but he's fun, so I hope you can forgive the randomness._

 _Danny's up next on Thursday!  
_


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N:** Mahalo to all those who left encouraging reviews and advice! i really appreciate it; thanks so much! It urges me on when I hear that people are liking the story! _

_Here's Danny, and with Danny we have some whump!_

 _Warning: Foul Language_

 _Enjoy!_

 _ **Disclaimer:** Let it be 'duly noted' that I neither own nor claim to own any part, person, or plot line of the Hawaii Five-0 franchise._

 _ **Chapter Three**_

The guys obviously weren't Hawaiian.

 _Haoles beat up haoles, huh?_ thought Danny. _One misplaced American to another._

There was three of them, and it wasn't difficult to tell which one was the leader. Tall, striking, and imposing, he had handsome features and a shock of black hair. But his eyes were unnerving. Dark and glittering with a strange light, they bore into Danny's and sort of made him want to sink into the floor and disappear.

The two others were twins. With short, light brown hair, long noses, long arms and bow legs, they stood silently with their arms crossed over their chests in identical stances.

If the situation hadn't been so frightening, Danny would have scoffed.

"Detective Williams," said the first man in a tone much too old for his young face. "Good to see you weren't beaten up too badly when my brothers kidnapped you."

 _That's a confession, alright._

"I hope you will forgive us for the use of drugs instead of simply clocking you on the head with some heavy object or other. It is necessary that your blood did not spill onto anything at your home."

It was then that Danny noticed the cut on one of the twins' foreheads.

 _Ha! Looks like not everyone escaped unscathed._

"So," continued the black haired man. "I suppose introductions are in order. You know me, of course. Ricky Genovese, though you know me by a different name."

 _Wait...what? I don't know him..._

"These are my brothers...the one with the unfortunate cut is Al. The other is Joe. Joe's older by a two minutes and a half, if you wanted to know. Although, Al always needs to act like a boss, doesn't he?"

Al looked annoyed, but embarrassed. Joe just looked smug.

"Anything you wanted to say, Detective?" asked Ricky in a mocking tone. Danny rolled his eyes, drawing a surprised laugh from Ricky. "Sarcasm, evident even through your eyes," he murmured in amusement. "I'm sorry. I couldn't help a little joke; I'm a funny man, you'll see, always ready with a laugh."

 _Yeah, I'm sure you're fucking hilarious._

"I assume you know why you're here, huh?"

Danny shook his head, and Ricky chuckled. "Oh, that was a good one, Detective. I appreciate your sense of humor. We'll get along famously, just famously! Two comedians, just having a laugh. Now, the funny stuff's over, okay? You know why you're here?"

Again, Danny shook his head.

Eyes darkening, Ricky leaned back on the balls of his feet, then rolled forward again. He continued for a time, the room falling into an uncomfortable silence. Not for the first time, Danny wondered what the hell was going on.

"You're lying," sneered Al from the corner. "You're a lying liar."

"Shut up, you fucking idiot!" snapped Ricky, not even bothering to turn around. "You've already screwed up once today; don't be so eager to do it again! Got it?"

"Whatever," muttered Al. But he shut his mouth.

"As for you, Detective, I do not believe you're being perfectly honest with me. Let's take this off and see what comes out, hm?" Too calm, Ricky began to pull off the duct-tape with excruciating slowness, and Danny couldn't stop a low growl of pain from escaping his lips as the tape pinched at his skin.

"Oh, I'm sorry, does that hurt? Not much I can do, I'm afraid..."

"Oh sure," Danny mumbled, scrunching his eyes closed as Ricky continued to peel the tape. This was ridiculous. Torture by slow tape removal? Danny sort of hoped these goons had nothing more painful than this up their sleeves.

At last, Ricky tugged the tape completely off, and Danny sighed in relief. His mouth and cheeks prickled and stung a little as if they were asleep, but other than that, he was congratulating himself on remaining uninjured thus far. Now if only he could figure out why the hell he was here in the first place.

"As I was saying before, Detective, I think you're...beating around the bush. Tell me you know why you are here."

"I'm guessing it's not because you wanted me to join your party."

Ricky laughed. "Not exactly, Danny. Can I call you Danny? Oh, why am I even asking, of course I can! That's what buddies do, isn't it, Danny?"

"I..." (Danny wished he could point at himself) "...am not your buddy. Do buddies tie each other to chairs that are stuck to the ground? Huh? Do buddies put duct tape on each other's faces for fun? Not where I come from!"

Ricky seemed astonished. "Man, you've got a mouth on you," he said. His face broke into a wide grin. "Just like me! I knew we were gonna be buddies." From within his suit coat, he drew a long, sharp knife that Danny instantly decided he hated. His skin began to crawl.

"You're crazy," stated Danny distastefully. "You're damn crazy!"

Rubbing the blade carefully with his tie, Ricky chuckled happily as if at a family picnic. "Oh, Danny, you have no idea! My teenage years were absolutely exhilarating!" The gleam in the man's dark eyes intensified, and the Jersey detective found himself talking uncontrollably. "Oh, well, I can imagine that it was quite exciting...I believe you, you really don't need to use that knife, ya know...I don't even know why I'm here, remember? And..." he laughed nervously as the three brothers glared at him, "I'm not lying to you, I swear. I'm not lying, I promise, I swear to you-"

Abruptly, Ricky advanced with the blade raised and Danny found himself screaming, "I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING, I SWEAR, I SWEAR!"

Halfway to the detective, Ricky froze, his eyes flashing wildly. "Fine! You're not lying, it doesn't matter now!" he shouted. Danny winced as the sound bounced off the walls of the small room and hit his ears with resounding force. "You don't know anything! That's fantastic! Wonderful! I'm sooo happy that you're a complete and utter idiot!"

His heart pounding quickly in his chest, Danny began to sweat heavily. So now it didn't matter at all that he didn't know what was going on? What was up with _that_?

 _What the hell? Why does he look so familiar?_

All anger disappearing with the last echoes of shouting, Rick's face changed to take on an expression of calm and self-control.

"Well," he said with an overly indifferent tone, "I suppose it's time to shake things up a bit, hm?" With a sigh, he shrugged off his suit jacket and handed it to Joe. "Dry clean that for me, will you? Thanks, Joey." Throwing a final dark smile over his shoulder, Joe Genovese left the room.

Ricky began to roll up his sleeves, flexing his fingers and practicing a few punches, knife still in hand. "I'm a little rusty," he explained when he saw Danny's incredulous expression. "So sorry if I disappoint."

"So, uh..." Danny cleared his throat as Ricky's practice uppercut made a whistling sound, "...what's up with Joe, huh? Doesn't like beating up innocent detectives?"

"Not his area, no," answered Ricky easily. "His area of expertise is more... _creative_ , shall we say. Why? You want him to come back in, do his magic? I can always call him back in if you want, Danny."

Danny faked a smile. "Oh-ho, no no no, that's okay, I'm fine with him far, far away from me, thank you."

"Of course," said Ricky. He straightened up, his practice evidently finished. "Okay," he breathed. "I think I'm ready. You ready, Al?"

"Been ready for fifteen minutes, Rick," answered the man with a chilling smirk that did not agree with Danny's stomach.

"Alright, then. Let's get this party started. You got the brass knuckles?"

"You bet your ass I do," scoffed Al with a dramatic eye-roll. "What, you think I'm irresponsible? You think I'd leave 'em at the restaurant?"

"No, although you are pretty dumb," shot back Ricky. "Now hand 'em over, I want first hits."

"No way! I'm the one who brought 'em, I get first hits! Plus, you already have a fucking knife!"

"Hey, you in charge? Huh? Are you in charge, Al?

"Maybe I should be! All you do is spend money and be an idiot! I'd actually get things done!"

"Really? If you led things around here, they'd get fucked up so fast, no one would have a fucking clue what happened! You and whoever would be stupid enough to follow you would end up in jail faster than a fucking monorail!"

"A monorail? Seriously, Ricky?"

"Just gimme the damn knuckles!"

At this point, Danny was absolutely positive that the Genovese brothers were insane.

All three of them.

Even though Joe wasn't present, it just went without saying.

Every one of Danny's instincts screamed for him to escape as Rick and Al argued, but it was fruitless. Every tug of his arms only resulted in the zip-ties digging mercilessly into his wrists, drawing blood. Every twist of his legs ended in his ankles aching with lack of circulation. Pushing firmly off the ground with his bound feet, Danny struggled to move the chair, but it was strongly bolted to the ground.

He wasn't going anywhere.

However, Danny refused to lose hope. Any time now, the team would burst into the room, Steve ready with his own brass knuckles; Chin would be wielding his usual gigantic firearm, and Kono would break out her moves and floor his captors...literally floor them. The thought almost made Danny chuckle.

 _Almost_.

Danny was interrupted when Ricky won the fight over the knuckles. Smiling brightly, he slipped them onto his hands, while Al sulked in the corner like a petulant child.

"Sorry about that, buddy," Ricky apologized sincerely. "Tony here was being difficult. Weren't you, Al?"

Tony muttered something unintelligible.

"Don't be such an SOB, Albert, you'll get your turn!" He turned to Danny, hissing, "God, he's such a moron!" He nodded at Danny like he was supposed to agree or something.

"I think you should let me go," said Danny instead.

"Ha!" crowed Ricky. "I love you, man, really I do."

"You _love_ me?" Danny repeated, astonished. "Do you usually kidnap people you love, threaten them with sharp objects, and beat them with your fists?"

"If it'll help them remember something they forgot," shrugged Ricky. "It's a favor, right Al?"

"A favor, right, Ricky," agreed Al, already looking happier at the phrase 'beat them with your fists.'

"Alright. Let's get started, shall we? Ready, Danny?"

Before the detective could summon the suitable amount of fire for a retort, his head was snapping back, and he gasped, unable to help himself. Almost instantly, he felt blood on his lips and was aware of a warm sensation trickling down the right side of his face.

Dammit, that _hurt_.

And why the hell were they doing this to him?

He didn't have time to ask as Ricky's he felt a sudden fiery pain across his chest. Sucking in a deep breath, he stared down, amazed. The cut wasn't deep, but it was long, running from his left shoulder to his right side. He watched with disconnected fascination as dark red oozed from the wound.

And then Ricky's knuckles slammed into his face again, his uppercut rattling Danny's teeth and smashing his cheekbone. The brass knuckles were excruciatingly effective.

"Ah!" Danny cried out. "Shit!" Now the pain from the slash mark across his chest was growing in intensity; his face and torso screeched in pain.

Aiming carefully, Ricky leaned back and then delivered another heavy hit directly to Danny's left eye.

That was a whopper.

Agony screamed throughout his skull as his socket absorbed the blow. White flashes of pain became his vision, and for a second the entire world completely faded out, sound becoming nothing more than a faint buzzing noise that Danny was in far too much distress to question.

"A little too hard, huh?" asked Ricky, bending over to observe Danny's face. In the background, he could just make out Al smiling widely. The show had obviously reached his standards.

"Fuck you," Danny ground out with much difficulty. His mouth seemed to be full of blood.

Good thing he had a human trash bin right in front of him.

With all the force he could muster, Danny spat a large glob of blood and saliva directly into Ricky's face.

Instantly, Al began to laugh hysterically, and Ricky's face cracked into a monstrous grin. "I love you more than ever, Danny!" he cackled. "I love you so much, I could just beat you up for hours and hours and hours."

"That makes no sense," Danny coughed, annoyed and perturbed when Ricky didn't react the way he had expected.

"Oh...it does to me, and that's really all that matters," said the man with an eerie smile. "Now Al, do you want your turn today, or do you wanna wait until tomorrow?"

Al thought hard before answering.

"Tomorrow," he replied finally. "I want to re-break what started to heal. And I want him to have time to sit here in the cold, and think about how much I'm gonna fuck him up."

"Which won't be too much," Ricky reminded him, flashing a reassuring smile at Danny.

As if that were supposed to make him feel better.

"Get some rest, Danny," said Ricky, rubbing his brass knuckles. "Have fun trying to see out of that eye!"

Laughing loudly to themselves, Ricky and Al exited the room, slamming the door shut behind them.

Leaving Danny in the cold room, bleeding, bruised, half-blind in one eye, and with a throbbing headache.

 _Hurry up, Steve,_ he thought as the disturbing feeling of blood leaving his body made him feel light-headed.

 _You've got to get me out of here._

 _Please._

 ** _To Be Continued..._**

 _ **P.S.** In the past, I've had some trouble writing villains, so I hope the Genovese brothers aren't too disappointing. _

_Should I continue?_


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N:** Chin and Kono make some progress while Steve and Catherine talk to Rachel and Gracie._

 _I know some of you are wondering why Danny's been kidnapped in the first place, and I'll get there. Just thought I'd let you know they don't figure it out in this chapter; it's going to take awhile._

 _Hope this is satisfactory!_

 _ **Disclaimer:** Let it be 'duly noted' that I neither own nor claim to own any part, person, or plot line of the Hawaii Five-0 franchise._

 ** _Chapter Four_**

Kono couldn't believe she was only fifteen minutes into the security footage. Already, the blurry, grainy recording was sending sharp stabs of discomfort through her eyes and into her brain. With a sigh, Kono pinched the bridge of her nose with one hand and massaged her right temple with the other.

So far, the mere fifteen minutes of footage had revealed nothing about Danny's captors or any information of any sort. A stray dog had peed in the yard opposite Danny's, but other than that, nothing of note.

Kono still didn't understand why this was happening. What could the perps want from Danny? Was it someone from his past, demanding revenge? Was it someone Steve had angered, and they were using Danny as leverage to get to him? Someone that Chin knew, someone that she knew?

Someone that they _all_ knew?

More spears of pain shot through Kono's skull, and she moaned in annoyance. Damn headache.

Taking her hands from her eyes, Kono searched her desk drawers for some Advil, nearly cheering when her mission was a success. Popping two of the pills into her mouth, she dry-swallowed them and turned her attention back to the camera footage.

Nineteen minutes?! That couldn't be right! It couldn't have only been four minutes since she last checked the time...

"This is ridiculous!" Kono exclaimed in frustration. "I hate this!"

"Everything okay, cuz?" asked a voice suddenly. Startled, Kono turned, but relaxed. Of course it was Chin. Who else would call her 'cuz'?

"Yeah, just fine," sighed Kono. "It's just...this screen is kinda hurting my eyes."

"How long have you been watching?" asked Chin concernedly.

"Less than twenty minutes..."

Chin's face broke into a fond smile. "It takes awhile to get used to it."

"So, did Fong run the blood sample yet?"

"Yeah, as a matter of fact, he did," replied Chin. "I just got a text from him asking to see one of us for the results."

Kono leapt up from her chair. "I'll go, cuz," she said quickly. "I love talking to Charlie. And you're more used to looking at horrible camera footage than I am, so..."

Chin laughed at her eagerness to escape the grainy imaging. "Okay, fine. But you owe me, okay?"

"Okay! Thanks, brah! See ya later!"

With that, Kono raced off in the direction of the crime lab, finally feeling like she was doing something useful.

Speedily, she sent a text off to Charlie, letting him know that she was on her way, and in a few minutes, was striding into the crime lab.

Instantly, she spotted the very tall, white-coated man and grinned. "Hey, how's it going?" she greeted him.

"Pretty well, I'd say," replied Charlie, returning the smile. "I traced that blood that was found on the picture of Danny's daughter."

Kono's heart thudded wildly in her chest. "You got a match?" she inquired, daring to hope.

They needed this lead. It had already been at least ten hours since Danny had been kidnapped. They needed to act faster...

"You bet I did!" cried Charlie, and Kono barely refrained from throwing her arms around him.

"That's great! Who is he?"

"This guy, Albert Genovese," said Charlie, pointing at the computer screen.

Kono observed a handsome but surly-looking young man with close-cropped dirty blonde hair and brown eyes. "Looks like he's got a record," she muttered. "Petty theft, car jackings, muggings...a few fist fights..." she frowned, shaking her head in confusion. "But this is all small stuff. His profile doesn't match that of a kidnapper."

Charlie shrugged. "Huh. Well...lemme know if you need anything else."

"Okay! Thanks so much for the info!"

"Anytime, Kono," he said with a grin. "It'll always be my pleasure."

Shaking her head and smiling, she left the crime lab and returned to her office, where Chin was focused on the footage with such intensity that Kono felt almost guilty to pull him away from it.

"Hey, Chin," she said meekly.

Chin paused the footage. "Got anything from Fong?" he asked immediately.

"Yeah, he said the blood belonged to a guy named Albert Genovese."

"Rap sheet?"

"Small crime. Nothing big, no previous kidnappings."

"Hmm, okay. Look into his-"

"I know, I know, background, emails, messages, phone records, family history, bank records, past occupations, I got it."

Chin looked impressed. "Wow, cuz. You're not a rookie anymore!"

Grinning, Kono giggled. "We grow up fast around here. Anything from the video?"

"Not yet," Chin sighed. "But I'm only thirty minutes in. One hundred fifty-four minutes to go."

"Oh, okay." Kono bit her lip. "Sorry for shoving that off on you."

"It's fine," assured Chin with a smile. "I'm pretty good at this, anyway. And you're good at digging up stuff on our suspects!"

"Aw, thanks, cuz!"

She began to leave when she realized that they were down not only a detective, but a navy SEAL as well.

"Chin, where's Steve?"

"Oh. He went to talk to Grace. He's going to tell her that Danny's missing."

Kono's doubtful expression matched that of her cousin's. "Is he sure that's the right decision? Shouldn't he talk to Rachel first?"

"That's what I asked him...I don't think he even thought about Rachel," said Chin. "But he seemed to think so."

Taking a deep breath, Kono let it out slowly. "Well, let's hope Steve's right."

5-0-5-0-5-0

"Want me to come with you?" asked Catherine.

Steve shook his head. "What happened to 'you'll have to do it yourself'?"

The couple stood outside Danny's house on the front lawn. Earlier in the day, Catherine had left, felt awful for doing absolutely nothing to help find Danny, and had come back to find Steve still at the house, giving orders and asking constantly if anyone had found anything.

So far, only Danny's and Grace's prints had been lifted from the scene, and aside from the blood splatter on the picture frame that Fong had taken with him, there was no foreign DNA to be found. It was discouraging, but Steve wouldn't give up. Most of the time, a lot could be gained from a tiny blood sample. A face, and if a face, then records, an address, associates, family members. Also, they had the security footage. Surely, someone was scouring that piece of evidence right then.

"Steve," sighed Catherine. "I know what I said, but I want to come. I want to be there for Grace."

"Rachel will be there for her," Steve said, not unkindly. "I know it'll make you upset to see Grace cry when I tell her Danny's missing."

Catherine bit her lip. "I want to go with you," she repeated again, and Steve nodded. "Okay, fine. We'll leave right now."

But before they took off, Steve pulled aside Sergeant Duke Lukela and relayed to him directions to make sure everyone gave the cataloguing of the scene their one-hundred percent best effort, or they wouldn't be able to leave.

In understanding, Duke nodded. "Of course, Commander. You've got my word."

"Thanks, Duke. Catherine? Let's go."

5-0-5-0-5-0

For the third time that afternoon, Grace Williams called her father.

And for the third time, the recorded message proclaimed, "You're calling Detective Danny Williams. I am currently unavailable, so if it's important, please leave a detailed message."

"Danno, where are you? It's me, Grace! I just thought we could get shave ice tomorrow instead of go to the beach, since I know you hate the water...please call me back this time, Danno!"

With a sigh, Grace finished leaving her message and flopped down on her bed. She didn't understand why her dad wouldn't pick up! Something like worry niggled in the back of her mind, but she knew Danno was probably busy tracking down bad guys.

The thought made her smile.

"Gracie?" called Rachel from downstairs. "Have you called your father yet?"

"Yeah! He didn't pick up!" Grace shouted.

"How strange," she heard her mother murmur.

"Is he not answering you either?" Now confused and admittedly a bit frightened, Grace leapt off her bed and bounded down the stairs. "How many times did you try him?"

"Five," said Rachel. "He must be busy."

"Maybe...I'm going to try again." Determined, Grace dialed her father. It rang. Once. Twice. "You're calling Detective Danny Williams. I am currently unavailable, so if it's important, please leave a detailed message."

"Danno! Mommy and I are worried about you! Please answer your phone...or I'm calling Uncle Steve!"

She hit the end call button. "He doesn't like Uncle Steve in his business," Grace explained to her mom. Rachel blinked, still trying to process that Grace had threatened her father.

She was definitely a Williams.

"He's probably on a case," mused the girl. But still, the strange feeling tickled in the back of her brain, and it wouldn't go away. What if Danno was in trouble? Maybe she should call Uncle Steve right now...

"I'm sure your father's fine, Grace," Rachel assured her. "Out chasing the villains, as per usual."

Grace worried her bottom lip. "I don't know," she admitted. "I've called him three, four times now! And you've called him five!"

"I know, sweetheart, but you know how busy he can get! He's probably just-"

 _Riiing!_

Interrupted by the doorbell, Rachel froze mid-sentence. The bad feeling in Grace's head exploded into mind-boggling proportions.

 _Danno's not coming home. Danno's gone. Danno's not coming home..._

"It's okay, sweetie," soothed Rachel. "It's okay. Go into the living room while I answer the door, alright?"

Trembling with fear, Grace took a hesitant step backwards, her huge eyes glued to the door.

 _There would be a police officer out there, sounding sorry but not really sorry at all. "Detective Williams was shot down in the line of duty today, ma'am," he'd say. "I apologize for your loss."_

Grace's breathing quickened as the horrible scene flashed in her mind. This couldn't be happening. Not to her. Not her Danno.

Rachel opened the door.

"Good afternoon," said a familiar voice.

Instantly, Grace recognized it and rushed forward. "Uncle Steve!" she cried out.

"Hey, Gracie," he replied with a smile, embracing her tightly.

"Where's Danno?" Grace inquired, peeking beyond her favorite uncle. "Is Danno with you? Is he working? Why aren't you his back-up?"

"Grace, calm down," breathed Rachel. "Give Commander McGarrett some space."

"No, it's okay, Rachel. Grace, remember my friend Cath?"

"Yeah! Do you know where Danno is?" the girl begged Catherine for an answer.

"Let's go inside and sit down while Uncle Steve talks to your mom," she suggested instead of answering Grace's question.

Heart pounding wildly in her chest, Grace snapped her mouth shut and followed her Aunt Cath into the living room, leaving Steve and Rachel in the entryway. Grace couldn't make out many words, but she heard her mother's distressed tone and Uncle Steve's insistent voice.

"...rather find out from the media?" she heard him demand. "Would it be better that way?"

And then, a few minutes her mother was walking slowly into the room, biting her lip. Uncle Steve walked behind her.

Slowly, Rachel descended onto the sofa next to Grace. The young girl tapped her feet nervously as Steve and his girlfriend sat across from them on the opposite couch.

"Gracie," began Steve gently. "I have some news about Danno."

Grace's stomach plummeted; she felt her mom's hand on her back. "I'm not sure I was right about letting you-" Rachel began.

"No!" cried Grace with surprising volume. "I want to know what happened to Danno! I can handle it. He's my dad, I deserve to know where he is." She took a shuddering breath, looking her Uncle Steve directly in the eye. "Uncle Steve, is Danno dead?"

Steve leaned forward in his chair, grasping his adopted niece's hands tightly. "No, no he's not dead, Gracie." He paused, searching for the right words. "The thing is, Gracie...we don't exactly know where Danno is right now."

Grace felt like she was falling. "Danno...D-Danno's...miss-missing?" she stammered, horrified.

Deep blue eyes filled with apologetic expression, Steve nodded.

Focusing on the floor, tears quickly spilled down her cheeks.

"But we're gonna find him, Gracie, okay? Grace, look at me."

Tenderly, he raised the young girl's chin and brushed a tear from her face. "Do you trust me, sweetheart?"

Her chest aching and heart throbbing, Grace instantly nodded. There was no one in the world, besides her Danno, that she trusted more than Uncle Steve.

"We're gonna find Danno, Gracie. We're gonna bring him home, okay?"

"When?" inquired Grace. Her chin quivered. Never before had she wanted a Danno-hug more in her life. "When will he come home?"

Steve hesitated. "Soon," he replied finally, firmly. "He'll come home soon. Okay?"

Stoutly, Grace nodded. "Okay."

"Okay. I need you to be strong like Danno, Gracie. Be strong. Everything will be fine. Can you be strong like Danno?"

"I can," whispered Grace. "I can be strong like Danno. For Danno."

"Good girl." Steve opened his arms wide. "C'mere."

Face distorting, Grace leapt into Uncle Steve's embrace and clutched tightly to his shirt. Rachel's heart broke as she heard her daughter dissolve into heart-wrenching sobs.

Gently, Steve rubbed Grace's back, shushing her softly.

In her uncle's arms, Grace breathed in the comforting scent of ocean salt and cologne. It wasn't Danno, but Uncle Steve was basically her second father. She trusted him and loved him so much that it made her cry even harder.

"I love you, Uncle Steve," she wailed. "Please find Danno!"

"I will, Gracie, I'll find him. I love you too, sweetheart."

 ** _To Be Continued..._**

 _ **P.S.**_ _Danny's up next!_


	5. Chapter 5

_**A/N:** More Danny, and more whump. Will our poor detective ever figure out what Steve did (if anything) to get him in such a mess?_

 _Warning for some language in this chapter! _

_Thanks so much for the encouraging reviews! You guys keep this story alive._

 _Enjoy, friends!_

 _ **Disclaimer:** Let it be 'duly noted' that I neither own nor claim to own any part, person, or plot line of the Hawaii Five-0 franchise._

 ** _Chapter Five  
_**  
Danny was positive he was going to have hip problems in the future.

After what felt like four hours, he was still stuck in the chair (who knew siting could be so painful?) and by now, all feeling in his arms was gone and total numbness was slowly claiming his feet as well. Even if he were able to escape from the zip-ties somehow, Danny doubted he would have been able to move. His limbs needed blood flow, dammit!

Aside from that, his head was pounding and it felt like some jackass was driving a metal stake into his head with a sledgehammer. With every beat of his heart, blinding pain stabbed through his skull and his stomach roiled. The fact that the room seemed to be spinning non-stop and that there were two of everything didn't help.

Neither did watching blood seep out of his body from the wound on his chest.

Mainly, Danny's time had been spent trying not to vomit everywhere, because he had to live here and the stench would quickly overcome the small room. Danny didn't want to inflict that on himself, so he focused.

 _Keep it down, keep it clean, keep it down, keep it clean..._

He decided that now was the perfect time to use the expression 'the struggle is real.'

Where had he even heard that?

It hit him like a ton of bricks: _Grace_.

Instantly, questions and worries whirled through Danny's brain: was she safe?

Did she even know he'd been kidnapped?

If so, how worried was she?

Was she able to sleep?

Was she having nightmares?

Was Steve helping her through?

Danny's arms began to ache with a new pain: a strong desire to hold his daughter tight and tell her everything was going to be okay.

Because that was the truth.

Everything would be okay...

"Goood morning, Danny-boy!"

The door swung open and Ricky strode into the room, closely followed by Al and Joe.

Though his pulse was racing, Danny managed to look unruffled. "Hey, guys. What's on the schedule for today? I hope letting me go is on there."

Ricky hooted with laughter. "Your sense of humor is priceless! No, Detective, I don't think I'll be letting you go today. However, a meeting with Al is scheduled for..."

He made a show of checking his insanely large, diamond encrusted watch,

"...three minutes from now. And then after the meeting, which will take an undeterminable amount of time, you have an appointment with the photographer."

"What? A photographer?" Danny asked, confused. "Excuse me, but I don't do pictures without being paid."

"Don't flatter yourself, bud," chuckled Ricky. "And don't worry, we'll pay you well enough."

"Oh, ha-ha, I fear I might pass out from laughing so hard," snarked Danny, though goosebumps popped up on his arms.

Beatings followed by a picture sounded like a recipe for ransom.

"Oh yes, Danny," said Ricky with a smile, bouncing on the balls of his feet. "You are right about that."

Al and Joe exchanged glances and laughed loudly.

Danny said nothing. In his throat, the caustic feeling of bile rose, and his inner mantra increased in speed.

 _Keepitdownkeepitcleankeepitdownkeepitclean_

He scrunched his eyes shut in concentration.

"You having some trouble there, bud?" joshed Al roughly, leering very closely into Danny's personal space. His face was inches from the detective's. He smiled eerily, and Danny felt a sudden wave of anger surge through him. Before he could stop himself, Danny was ramming his forehead directly into Al's face, sending the perp stumbling backwards in shock and pain.

"Son of a bitch!" swore Al loudly as Ricky and Joe sniggered, clearly enjoying the show. "You fucking son of a _bitch_! That was a big goddam mistake, you bastard!"

Eyes ablaze, Al rushed forward.

Danny didn't have time to prepare himself as the man's fist swung directly into his stomach. Every bit of air in his lungs rushed out in a gasp, and he doubled over in the chair. The battle to resist puking was lost, and Danny retched painfully onto the cement floor, gagging and struggling for breath. His lungs screaming for oxygen, he sucked in a large gulp of air, but accidentally choked on his own vomit.

Danny couldn't believe it. He was going to die suffocating on his own upchuck.

What a way to go.

"Oh no, you're not leaving us yet," he heard Al's voice as if from a distance. He couldn't be bothered to be relieved or disturbed; he was too busy trying to breathe through the rancid taste in his mouth as his airway managed to work with puke shoved up in it. Coughing and spitting, Danny finally collapsed back into the chair, able to breathe, but not without feeling the harsh ache in his ribs where Al had pounded him.

One. One hit today, and already things were looking shitty.

"Ooh, that was exciting," smirked Joe. "Good one, buddy!"

"Thanks, man!" Al grinned as if he'd been handed a million dollars. "I try!"

"I know. Hit him again!" demanded Ricky, his tone laced with exhilaration.

"Oh, you don't need to tell me to do that!" laughed Al crazily. "Here goes!"

Any attempts to ready himself were futile as the beating continued. Three more solid hits were landed to Danny's gut in quick succession, each resulting in the forced rush of air leaving his lungs.

After the fourth hit, Al paused to catch his breath, and Danny sat panting.

He told himself he could get through this.

He told himself he was tough enough to endure this.

He told himself he could withstand whatever they tossed his way.

But Danny's head felt like it was splitting in half. Black spots danced in his peripheral vision, and his chest was on fire; every breath he took resulted in severe agony. He couldn't tell if his ribs were only bruised, or broken; he only knew that it hurt and he wanted it to stop. He wasn't sure if he could do this.

Not knowing why the hell this was happening to him didn't help anything, either.

"Go on, he's had enough time," urged Ricky.

"Are you sure you guys don't want a turn?" Al asked, adopting a kind tone.

So, this was generosity in the Genovese family. The fucked up version of _sharing_.

"No thanks, buddy!" beamed Ricky. "I'll give out my share of punches later. And Joe's saving his surprise for dessert, okay? For now...he's all yours!"

Grinning wildly, Al wriggled his eyebrows at Danny before rushing at him and ramming his fist into Danny's sternum. Hot white fire shot through his entire body, and he bellowed in pain. His attacker chuckled darkly before jamming his knuckles into the same spot again.

Unconsciousness beckoned, and Danny felt his head role forward onto his chest. Darkness hovered just beyond his reach, but as much as he wanted to, he couldn't fall asleep just yet. Apparently, it was fated for him to be awake to receive more beatings.

As more awareness slowly returned, Danny felt himself falling forward, then groaned in surprise as he felt himself being smacked into the concrete.

Good news: He was zip-tie free and no longer sitting in the chair.

Bad news: He was about to be sledgehammered by a crazy man.

"There we go!" exclaimed Al happily. "Now we've got more to work on! C'mere, you." Crouching down, Al gripped Danny's bruised and bloodied face with one strong hand and tilted it right, then left, muttering "hmm" and "maybe a bit more here". All the while, a professional, calculating expression painted his face, as if he were arranging a basket of flowers for a banquet.

Though he was in immense pain, Danny's every instinct screamed 'Get away!' He struggled to escape from the perturbing sight, lashing out with his fists.

He went wide.

Completely handicapped by his double-vision, Danny, to his disbelief, came nowhere close to hitting his captor.

Al laughed. "Man, you're funny. I like that. It's not easy to find a guy with a real sense of humor, ya know?"

Before Danny could answer, Al was straddling him with alarming deftness.

Aiming carefully, closing one eye, Al knocked the side of Danny's face with his fist.

As if his head needed more damage.

Danny's skull screeched and the majority of sound faded out to a shrill ringing as Al punched him yet again. The black spots on the edge of his vision began to close in fast, and Danny was grateful.

As his last bits of consciousness waned and began to fade, he felt the Al's pressure on his legs shift slightly. A brief flash of light left him temporarily blinded, but he couldn't be bothered to figure out what it was.

"Aw, these are priceless!" he barely heard Al giggle. "Hey Joe, how much you wanna bet that Commander McGarrett'll like the second one best?"

"I'll bet you a quarter he likes the first one more. It's zoomed up closer."

"You're on!"

All of his pain receded into a dull roar, and the blackness smothered him like a blanket. The detective welcomed it with open arms, and as he passed out, he felt as if he were falling.

As he plummeted, he realized he knew where he'd seen Ricky's face.

And he realized that 'Ricky' was not the only name he went by.

 ** _To Be Continued..._**

 _ **P.S.** Al's name was originally Tony, so I had to go back and change it. I'm sure I missed a few, so sorry about that. _

_The head-butt was for you, StBridget!_

 _Hope you enjoyed..._


	6. Chapter 6

_**A/N:** Hey, y'all! Things are starting to get a little iffy, but hopefully I didn't totally destroy the life of the story._

 _Our favorite team finally figures things out...sort of._

 _Enjoy, friends!_

 _ **Disclaimer:** Let it be 'duly noted' that I neither own nor claim to own any part, person, or plot line of the Hawaii Five-0 franchise._

 _ **Chapter Six**_

Kono loved running background checks on suspects.

To her, there was nothing more exhilarating than unearthing their pasts and learning all about them. To delve deep into their lives and unearthing their secrets was _fun_ , and usually, she had a good time doing it

But this time, minutes and seconds counted; this was Danny they were trying to find, and worrying about him sort of absorbed all the fun out of the work.

Focused with laser-like intensity, Kono scoured Albert Genovese's past.

Ever since he was fourteen, he had been committing petty crimes. He was not married, and had no children. His bank records showed nothing out of the ordinary, and neither did his inbox or his personal messages. With a sigh of frustration, Kono decided to learn more about Albert's family.

He had two brothers.

Joseph Genovese was Albert's twin, but Rick, the oldest by three years, had more of a rap sheet.

And more than drug store robberies and car jackings were on it.

"Whoa," Kono breathed, scrolling through the list. Scrolling, scrolling...and scrolling. The guy's sheet was a mile long!

Drug trafficking, assault, impersonation of a police officer, multiple stabbings, bank heists, and...kidnappings.

"This is the guy I want," Kono murmured, tapping on Rick Genovese's picture.

Whipping out her phone, Kono dialed a number.

5-0-5-0-5-0-5-0

"That went well, don't you think?" huffed Catherine as they pulled away from the Williams' house.

Steve's jaw clenched, but he said nothing.

"Grace cried. I knew she would cry. That poor kid!" Catherine continued. "She just went to pieces...she's such a sweet girl...but I think Rachel wanted to kill us..."

Steve scoffed. "You think?" He glanced at his girlfriend. "Cath, I told you, you didn't have to come."

"I know," she sighed. "It's my own fault, I got it. I just...I thought I could help break it to her a little gentler. Girl to girl. You know."

"I dunno. Not being a girl, I can't say I do."

"You're mad at me now, aren't you?"

He turned to look at Catherine, who was staring at him with a sad yet expectant expression in her eyes. He felt his chest ache.

"No, Cath," he said gently. "I'm not mad at you. I'm just worried about Danny. That's all. I mean...what if I was wrong?"

"About what?"

"About Danny. Finding him, bringing him home. I told Gracie...no, scratch that. I _promised_ Gracie that I'd find Danno and bring him home. Soon. Why did I say that, Cath? Why did I make a promise I'm not sure I can keep?"

"Because you _want_ to keep it," said Catherine. "And you will keep it, Steve. This is the Five-0 task force, the greatest damn task force in the world! And you are their leader."

She placed a hand on his leg. "If anyone can find Danny, it's you, Steve McGarrett. And don't you doubt that, not for a single, solitary second."

Tenderly, Steve smiled. "What would I do without you, Lieutenant?"

Their moment was interrupted when Steve's phone buzzed. Caller ID showed it to be Five-0's youngest member.

"Kono!" Steve greeted her. "You got something for me?"

"You bet your ass, brah!" she exclaimed. "Listen: I know who took Danny!"

"What?" cried Steve. "Fill me in!"

"Okay, boss, get this: Charlie ran the blood we found on the picture frame. It belongs to a guy named Albert Genovese. Now he has a record, but nothing big-time like kidnapping. After running a typical check on his bank account and stuff, I didn't find anything out of place, so I researched his family. Steve, he's directly related to Richard Salerno."

"Salerno? The crazy kidnapper with mood swings? The one that we put behind bars two years ago? The one that threatened to get back at Five-0 for ruining his life? _That_ Richard Salerno? But why Danny? We all were responsible for his arrest..."

"Yeah, that Richard Salerno. And I think he knows that Danny is the heart of this team," Kono said gently.

"What else did you find out?" Steve questioned gruffly after a moment of silent consideration.

"Albert's two brothers are named Joseph, and Rick. Joseph's rap sheet is the same as Albert's, but Rick's...he's wanted for everything. Lots of people are out to get him, which is why he changed his name...to Richard Salerno."

"Wait, Rick Genovese is Richard Salerno? How...how..." Steve spluttered angrily, at a loss.

"I know," said Kono grimly. "Rick must have convinced his brothers to come along on the ride. Good news, though. I got Albert Genovese's address."

"Great. Where do I go?"

"218 Kamehameha Lane. According to the satellite footage, there's a navy blue Chrysler out front."

"Okay, thanks Kono. Fantastic work."

"No problem, boss!" She hung up.

Slamming down on the accelerator, Steve tore down the highway at a speed that made even Catherine uncomfortable, and she was used to her boyfriend's driving.

"Steeeve!" she yelled as the Silverado was almost pulverized by a semi-truck. "Shit that was close! Don't you ever want to have _kids_?"

"Kids?" repeated Steve. His mind leapt to conclusions instantly. "Oh my god! Cath, is there something you aren't telling me? Are you pregnant? Oh my god, you're pregnant, aren't you?"

"No, Steve!" Catherine replied frustratedly. "I'd just like to know you don't have a death wish, that's all!"

Steve slowed down, but Cath refused to talk about it the rest of the ride.

5-0-5-0-5-0-5-0

Seven minutes of awkward silence later, Steve and Catherine hopped out of the Silverado and approached Albert Genovese's little white house, guns at the ready. As promised, a dark blue Chrysler was parked in the gravel driveway.

Wordlessly, Steve crept up to the front door; when Catherine was ready, he kicked it in, yelling, "Five-0!"

Their only answer was silence.

Quickly, Steve and Catherine checked every room of the small house with careful perception. "All clear," Steve announced when he finished. "You?"

"Clear," Catherine sighed.

They lowered their guns. "No one's here," grumbled Steve, eyes narrowing as he thought. "Where _is_ he?"

"We need to check the brothers' homes as well," decided Catherine. "Joseph and Rick."

"I'm betting on Rick. He seems to be the big kahuna, doesn't he?"

Tight-lipped, Catherine nodded. "Yeah. We're at the wrong place."

As they were about to leave, Steve's phone pinged with an incoming message. He checked the number, frowning when he saw that it was unfamiliar.

"What?" asked Catherine, peering over his shoulder.

"I don't know." Puzzled, Steve clicked on the message, which proclaimed the attachments of two images.

"Oh my god." Catherine's hand flew to her mouth, and Steve's stomach clenched as his heart skipped a beat.

It was Danny.

Rumpled and pale, the detective lay limply on a concrete floor, eyes scrunched closed as if in pain. His face was sweaty, peppered with bruises and splattered with liquid red.

The second picture was a close up of Danny's face, enlarging the distinct bruising pattern of knuckles on Danny's cheekbone and the depth of the various lacerations. The cut skin looked tender and unhealed, causing Steve to think that the picture had been taken recently even as bile rose in his throat as he observed his best friend.

Business-like, he sent it to Max. "He can confirm when the beating happened by looking at the bruises. I'm pretty sure that happened yesterday, but...this is Danny, I need to be absolutely sure," Steve explained to Catherine, not even recognizing the sound of his own voice.

Looking dazed, Catherine only nodded.

Startling them both, Steve's phone rang. Again, it was Kono.

"Boss, something weird just happened," she said, all niceties ignored. On instant alert, Steve questioned, "What? What happened?"

"I got a text from an unknown number...I tried to trace it, but it's a burner."

"What did it say?" demanded Steve.

"Just this: _'Pay up. Vacant lot behind yellow house. No guns no wires.'_ And that's all. What does it mean? I don't understand!"

Steve's phone buzzed.

Incoming call: Chin Ho Kelly.

"Hold on a sec, Kono, I've got your cousin. Chin! Talk to me."

"I just got something strange in my inbox," relayed the Hawaiian, sounding puzzled. "Just a time and a price: _six o'clock, two days from now, and seventeen-thousand dollars._ "

"Seventeen thou?" echoed Steve.

Able to hear everything, Catherine's eyes widened. "Steve! It's a drop off location! It's a ransom demand!"

The world stopped moving.

The pictures.

Vacant lot behind yellow house.

Seventeen thousand dollars.

Ransom.

 _What am I going to do?_

He didn't even hear Catherine's phone vibrate, undoubtedly with a text from an unknown number.

"Steve," said Catherine abruptly. "Look at this."

Steve did.

 _If Five-0 wants to claim its own_

 _Then Five-0 better come alone._

And he knew that this was going to get a whole lot worse before it got any better.

 ** _To Be Continued..._**

 _ **P.S.** The plot's getting a little shaky, so bear with me, please. It may take me a little longer to update this time, because that dark, scary corner I was afraid of writing myself into is closing in. Even though I wrote the next few chapters ahead of time, I'm beginning to second-guess the plot. Hopefully, I'll update again on Friday as planned, but if not, please bear with me. Thanks!_


	7. Chapter 7

_**A/N:** Here we are again. Thanks to all your wonderful prompting and encouraging words, the story continues! Mahalo to all who reviewed, favorited, and/or followed! _

_What does Joe Genovese have in store for Danny?_

 _Warning: whump will occur!_

 _ **Disclaimer:** Let it be 'duly noted' that I neither own nor claim to own any part, person, or plot line of the Hawaii Five-0 franchise._

 ** _Chapter Seven_**

"You owe me twenty-five cents, Al. Commander McGarrett totally liked the second picture better."

"How the hell do you figure that?"

"Just gimme the quarter."

"No way! I use this money to buy pop!"

Ears buzzing and head pounding incessantly, Danny Williams awoke and wished he hadn't.

Listening to the Genovese twins bicker was really not something he wanted to be conscious for.

But then again, neither was getting repeatedly punched in the face.

Oh, his face...

Danny could feel every cut and bruise that had been inflicted on his poor cheekbones, nose, and eyes. Tender and obviously swollen, everything ached and stung with a fierce intensity.

Not to mention his chest, which was burning and aching. He was pretty sure the wound was infected, which was just great. Why should he have expected anything better?

And then there were his ribs. With every inhale and exhale, the fractured (or bruised, or broken, Danny still couldn't tell) shifted and groaned like the unstable foundations of a dilapidated building. He dearly hoped nothing was broken. Broken ribs, he knew, were particularly nasty because they sometimes punctured a lung, resulting in a collapsed air sac and then death in the subsequent future.

Yeah, Danny really hoped he didn't have any broken ribs.

"Shut up, you dummies!" commanded Ricky Genovese, striding into the room. "Save your stupid quarters! We've got big plans for big moola."

"What do you mean 'big plans'?" asked Joe.

"Shut up for two seconds, and I'll tell you."

Lying completely still, Danny feigned unconsciousness. If they thought he was still out, he could listen in on their plan; later, he'd beg for a phone to talk to his daughter, and call Steve instead. He'd have to talk really fast, though, before he got caught...

No, that wouldn't work.

Might as well listen in anyway.

"Alright, we've already sent the pictures. Time?"

"Six sharp," said Al.

"Place?"

"Joe's."

"Amount?"

"Yup."

"Guns and wires?"

"Not allowed."

"And the warning?"

"If Five-0 wants to claim its own, then Five-0 better come alone," chanted Joe in a sing-song tone. "Man, I love that, Ricky. That's just great."

"You could make a song out of it," offered Al.

"Yeah, maybe when Joe wears a pink fluffy tutu and I become a member of the Department of Justice," retorted Ricky. "Come on, guys, listen up, okay?"

"Okay, Ricky," said Al. "We're just excited is all."

"Yeah, whatever. This is what we're gonna do to Five-0, for putting me in jail and all and ruining my life. Okay? Listen up, will ya? Al, you and Joe are gonna take your Chrysler and drive to the rendezvous. Make sure you have your guns, and make sure you have them in plain sight. You need to look like you're in charge. Got it?"

Al and Joe nodded.

"Good. Then, once you get there, you wait in the car until you see Commander McGarrett, Chin Ho Kelly, and Officer Kalakaua walk into the clearing. Before you get out of the car, make sure there are no snipers, no spies, no backup, no sirens, no choppers, no other vehicles of any kind. If it's all clear, get out of the car and pat them down. If they have earpieces, shoot them. If they have weapons, shoot them. If they have mics, wires, any sort of communication device..."

"Shoot them," said Joe solemnly.

Ricky nodded. "That's right, bud. After you make sure they're clean, get them to hand over the money. At this point, one of them will ask for proof of life, or to see Danny first. Tell them he's in the car. Of course, he won't be, but we'll get to that later."

From his place on the floor, Danny inwardly groaned. Of course this whole ransom business would result in the demise of Five-0, whether they complied to the demands or not.

"Now, when you get the money, make sure it's real."

"How do we do that?" demanded Al.

"Ask them."

"What if they lie?"

"They lie, they die. They tell the truth, they die. But make sure they know that if the money is fake, then Detective Williams' little girl will pay the price. Really, it doesn't matter; you're going to shoot them either way. The only ones leaving the rendezvous alive are you two. Danny here's just a lure; their price for fucking up my life is death."

Danny's heart thumped wildly in his chest. This was, in no way, shape, or form, _okay_. Grace was not going to be involved in this! The team was going to die trying to save him; he was _not_ going to let that happen!

"After you kill them, you double check to make sure they're dead. Two fingers to the neck; simple as that. Then, get in the car, start driving to meet me here. Once you've reached the halfway point, call me to verify your success. After I receive your call, I'll get rid of Danny here, and then we'll catch a plane somewhere cold."

Ricky smiled like the Cheshire cat.

"Any questions?"

Breaths audibly quickening with excitement, the twins shook their heads.

"Good. Now, I think it's time for our detective pal to wake up...don't you?"

Forcing himself to remain lax, Danny lay perfectly still with his eyes closed. No matter what, he couldn't give away the fact that he had heard Ricky's entire plan. And he had to contact Steve, somehow.

 _Steve..._

It seemed like years since Danny had seen his partner, not to mention Grace. He just knew that the entire team was running itself into the ground in order to find him. Danny appreciated it, really he did, but he wished to God that they could work faster. He wasn't sure he could spend another twenty-four hours without holding his Monkey in his arms.

His lovely vision of Grace was interrupted when a frigid torrent of water descended harshly into his face, causing him to lurch upwards from where he lay on the floor, coughing and gasping in shock.

"Shit!" he spat out, struggling to find breath.

His battle for air was answered by harsh laughter. "Sleep well?" sneered Joe.

"Looks like it," Ricky replied with a smirk. "Hope you had some nice dreams, Detective."

"Oh, don't worry about that," groaned Danny. "I was thinking about punching you guys all last night."

They sniggered.

"Oh, and I know who you are, Ricky," continued Danny with a fiery stare. "Or do you prefer _Richard_? Richard Salerno?"

"Even after we beat you up, you're still pretty funny. It's nice to find a guy with a _secure_ sense of humor," said Ricky, completely ignoring Danny's revelation.

"Fuck you!"

Ricky's light laugh made Danny frustrated and nauseous. There was just no winning with this guy. Rick Genovese/Richard Salerno was fully in control, no matter what name he went by.

"Fuck you," Danny whispered again, all bite to the words gone. He slumped to the ground. "You son of a bitch."

"I love you, too, buddy."

Through blurry double vision (damn concussion), Danny saw Ricky lean over and slap his brother on the shoulder. "He's all yours, Joey."

"Thanks, man!"

"You got plans for him?"

"Yeah, would you mind bringing me the big metal bucket of water from outside? You're gonna need Al's help."

Danny's breath hitched in his throat. Why did they need a bucket full of water?

"Oh, you know what I'm gonna do, don't you?" sneered Joe, as if reading the captive's thoughts. "You'd better start practicing holding your breath."

Involuntarily, Danny shuddered. He did not care for where this was going. But even as he struggled to rise, Joe's rough hands shoved him backwards into the ground, acute pain reverberating through his injured skull.

Concentrating on breathing, Danny lay still. Hopeless tears sprung into his eyes; he felt completely helpless.

Moments later, Ricky and Al returned, carrying a large metal tub. Water sloshed over the sides as they set it on the ground.

"Alrighty then," said Ricky, dusting off his hands. "Joe, if you don't mind..."

"Of course," responded Joe with a sadistic smile. "Let the show begin!"

Immediately, Danny felt himself being hauled upwards, and then his face was being shoved into the bucket.

He hadn't even had time to draw a breath.

Eyes opening in surprise, Danny struggled and thrashed as Joe kept him in place by basically laying down on Danny's back, forcing him into the water with his own weight. Instinctively, Danny held what little breath he had, but it wasn't enough and his lungs screamed.

Just as he was about to breathe in, Danny felt Joe's pressure lift, and something pulled him sharply out of the water and into the air. Danny choked, trying to breathe and cough at the same time.

He had barely been out of the water for fifteen seconds when he felt himself being forced under again.

This time, Danny managed a shallow breath before he was completely submerged.

Fighting against the natural compulsion to inhale was virtually impossible as Danny's heart rate skyrocketed and he felt his aching head turn strangely light. The dirty metal tub didn't seem so bad after all, and at least it was quiet down here...

He was yanked roughly from the water.

He coughed and vomited.

 _Thank you, natural instinct._

Once given around twenty seconds to wheeze in pain, Danny was held under the water yet again.

His body screamed, his mind shouted, his thoughts slammed into each other like bumper cars.

 _GraceEscapeSteveChinTeamKonoBadassGraceMonkeyRansomRachelHelpPleseGodHelpMe_

His mouth opened, and water flooded into his lungs, replacing oxygen with water. He could feel his body's confusion as it was overridden, blaring _ErrorErrorError_. Sound was a quiet hum and his heart beat echoed strangely in his ears. Slowing down now, when before, it had been so fast.

 _Grace_.

This was not what Grace would have wanted.

With the thought of his daughter, Danny struggled, but the attempt was short-lived. Beaten, exhausted, starving, and drowning, Danny Williams was about to give up.

 _I'm so sorry, Gracie._

 _I'm so, so sorry._

"Hey hey hey!" shouted Ricky Genovese as their captive's body went limp. "Get him out!"

Joe blinked. "Huh?"

" _Get him out_!" screamed Ricky.

Scrambling to follow orders, Joe hastily snatched Danny backwards and let him collapse in a wet, unmoving puddle on the concrete floor.

"I wanted you to torture him, not kill him, you goddam jackass! Is he breathing?"

Since Joe was shaking too hard from being startled, Al stepped forward and, crouching down, placed his hand on Danny's neck.

For a moment, there was a pregnant silence. And then Al was standing up, whining, "He's alive, so calm the hell down, Ricky! Jeez! We're gonna kill him anyway, why does it matter if he died right now?"

"It's not right!" hissed Ricky. "I can't expect you to understand."

Al rolled his eyes, muttering "whatever." Hands in his pockets, he left the room with his twin.

Left alone with a panting Danny, Ricky smirked. "I'll kill you when the time is right, detective. When the time is right..."

 ** _To Be Continued..._**

 _ **P.S.** At least Danny's putting up a fight. And yeah, I know Ricky's not the smartest guy in the world. Like killing Five-0 is gonna get him his life back. But that's his way of thinking... :)_

 _I'll be posting again [hopefully] on Sunday!_

 _Thanks for reading!_


	8. Chapter 8

_**A/N:** This chapter was like pulling teeth without any dental knowledge. I think one-shots are more of my thing...but I am going to finish this!_

 _Yup, it's slow right now. It'll pick up soon (next chapter)._

 _ **Disclaimer :** Let it be 'duly noted' that I neither own nor claim to own any part, person, or plot line of the Hawaii Five-0 franchise._

 ** _Chapter Eight_**

Steve worked the team into the ground.

They obeyed his orders willingly, running here and there, following up on this and that, checking and double-checking until their heads ached.

And when that happened, they'd pop an Aspirin, and triple-check to make sure.

While Chin absorbed the surveillance footage with a hawk-like stare, Catherine went to talk to Max and Kono ran further background checks on Rick and Joseph Genovese.

Meanwhile, Steve went back to the Williams'. He felt as if he needed to stand in as Grace's father-figure until they found Danny. He felt as if he owed that much to his partner.

He rang the bell, having to wait only a moment before the door swung open, revealing a very worried nine-year-old girl. "Uncle Steve!" she cried anxiously. "Did you find Danno? Is he okay? Where was he?"

"I'm sorry, Gracie," said Steve with an apologetic sigh. "We're closer to knowing where he is, but we haven't found him yet."

Grace's face crumpled, but she raised her chin resolutely. "Did you find any clues?" she asked. "Do you have any suspects?"

A smile tugged at the corner of Steve's mouth. Grace was so much like her father, it almost made him cry.

"Yeah, a few bad guys," answered Steve honestly. "They're hiding, but no one can hide from Five-0 for long."

"Like hide-and-seek," said Grace.

Steve nodded. "Yup, like hide-and-seek, that's right. Uncle Chin, Auntie Kono, and I are very good at hide-and-seek."

Grace's lips quirked into a smirk, but it didn't reach her eyes and Steve's heart cracked a little.

"Gracie, listen," he said. "You're doing really great, okay? And wherever he is, I know Danno's so proud of you for being strong and brave. And he would want you to know that he's coming home soon, okay?"

"Okay, Uncle Steve. I trust you."

"I know you do. Hey, is your mom home?"

"Yeah. Just a second."

Grace ran off, and Steve steeled himself to talk to Danny's ex-wife. Though he did not enjoy talking to Rachel, she deserved to be updated on the investigation.

Within minutes, Rachel appeared in the doorway. Dark circles under her eyes and a pale face told Steve that she was exhausted and very worried. "Commander McGarrett," she greeted him tiredly. "Grace told me you...haven't found Daniel yet. What's taking you so long?"

"The evidence is taking awhile to process," he answered quietly. "We want to make sure we don't miss anything."

"Yes, of course. I really appreciate everything you're doing, Commander. Please, please find him soon. Grace really misses him."

"We're working on it. In fact, we have some leads that I thought you should know about."

He pulled up pictures of the Genovese brothers on his phone and held it up for Rachel to view. "Have you ever seen these men before?" he asked.

"Why? Are they the ones responsible for Daniel's disappearance?"

"We believe so, yes."

After studying the pictures hard for a moment, Rachel shook her head. "No, I'm afraid I don't know them. I'm sorry, Commander."

"No, don't be sorry. It's okay."

With a sigh, Rachel's shoulder slumped. "I don't know what to say to her," she said. "I keep telling her that he father will be home soon. It's just...she knows I'm trying to assure myself of that, as well."

"I promise that he'll be back soon, Rachel. I promise."

"How can you be so sure of something you don't know?" begged Rachel with tears in her eyes.

"I do know," said Steve, jaw clenching in determination.

He knew it was risky to say something like that. He knew that if he did not find Danny, everything would come crashing down. But that wouldn't happen, because he would find Danny and Danny would be fine. Danny had to be okay. He _had to._

"I do know. Tell Grace that I promise Danno will be home soon. And tell her that Uncle Steve never breaks his promises."

5-0-5-0-5-0-5-0

Chin had been at it for hours.

Security footage usually took a long time to view anyway, but since Danny was the victim, Chin was taking time to catalogue each and every thing.

It was taking a long time, but he was afraid to speed through; what if he missed something? Something critical to locating Danny, and Chin was responsible for missing it?

No, he wouldn't let that happen.

So he stared at the screen, stared and stared, watching time go by.

His eyes burned.

His brain ached.

And then...

A navy blue Chrysler pulled up in front of Danny's house. It parked, the headlights remaining on; for a moment, no one got out of the car.

Seconds passed. Chin could see shadowy figures in the car, gesturing to each other. Finally, they exited the vehicle and strode up to the front door.

Quickly, Chin scribbled down the license plate number onto a nearby notepad: WSM 025.

"Whoa!" he cried out suddenly.

One of the men had turned his face towards the camera.

Leaping forward, Chin paused the video. "Freeze," he muttered. "Gotcha."

In an instant, he transported the frame to the larger computer screen and had it running through facial recognition.

"C'mon, c'mon, c'mon," Chin urged as he watched myriads of faces flash before his eyes.

As if spending several hours watching footage wasn't enough stress on his retinas and brain.

Beepbeep!

"A match!" Chin exclaimed in surprise. "We've got a match!"

The name to the young, impish, face was Joseph Genovese.

Instantly, Chin whipped out his phone and dialed Kono. She picked up on the first ring.

"Talk to me cuz," she said, on the ball right off the bat. "What've you got?"

"I got two guys entering Danny's house at eleven-twenty p.m., and I got a clear shot of one of them."

"Who is it?" Kono demanded.

"Joseph Genovese. Since Albert's blood was found at the scene, that proves that the other man seen entering the house is definitely Albert. Also, I just ran the plates on a navy blue Chrysler seen in the video; it's registered to Albert."

"Alright, that's great, cuz! And I got access to the satellite footage and found out that both Joseph and Albert Genovese own houses on the island. Guess what color Joseph's is?"

"Yellow! That's our drop spot; great work, Kono!" He winced as a sharp pain stabbed behind his eyelids.

"How bad?" she asked sympathetically.

"I'll be honest: pretty bad," her cousin responded. "I'll take an aspirin, I'll be fine."

"Take four, cuz! You've been staring at that screen for...how long?"

"Too long," Chin sighed. "And I'll take your advice to heart. I might even go above and take six."

Kono let loose a little giggle. "Yeah."

They fell into silence.

"What's on your mind, cuz?" Chin asked gently. He knew, he just knew, that something was bothering her.

Kono didn't hesitate. "Chin, I'm worried about Danny. I'm worried about Grace! I just...what if he never gets back to his daughter? What if we find Danny's body somewhere, and...and we have to tell her? What if Grace has to live the rest of her life, knowing that this team, our team, failed? She'll hate us! She'll never trust cops again! She'll think that all good cops died with her father..."

"Kono. Stop talking, okay? Just stop!"

Abruptly, the words stopped coming.

"Kono, listen to me. Danny is not going to die. We're going to find him. He's gonna be fine."

"Max said the bruises were inflicted two days ago," Kono said tearfully. "The pictures looked bad, Chin! Seeing Danny like that..." She broke off, and Chin didn't need her to finish the sentence.

"We'll find him," Chin murmured. "We have to."

After hanging up with Kono, the Hawaiian immediately called Steve.

"What are we going to do?" he questioned. "We need to find Danny. We need a plan."

"The ransom," Steve replied with a sigh, "I know. I think I have a plan, but..."

"But what?"

"I don't know what to do, Chin. I...if we bring them the money-"

"Which we don't have."

"-and go to the location alone-"

"Risky."

"-wireless-"

"Bad idea."

"-weaponless-"

" _Really_ bad idea."

"-can we really be sure they won't kill us? Or Danny?"

"No, we can't."

"So...Chin, I'm not sure the plan will work. I promised Grace, but...I don't know..."

Chin frowned in concentration. This, Steve McGarrett, uncertain strategic op, was new to him.

"Well..." he said finally. "Let's start like this: what sort of plan did you have in mind?"

 ** _To Be Continued..._**

 _ **P.S.** Thank God for Chin, huh? :D_

 _Thanks for reading!_


	9. Chapter 9

_**A/N:** Heartfelt thanks to those who left words of encouragement and support, and to those who followed/favorited! I've really been horrible by not responding to you, but please know that I love you guys :)_

 _I'm trying to get this very slow train to pick up speed, so here's another chapter. This is where we see some action..._

 _Hope this meets your expectations!_

 _Warnings for angry Steve and a panicky special task force._

 _ **Disclaimer** : Let it be 'duly noted' that I neither own nor claim to own any part, person, or plot line of the Hawaii Five-0 franchise._

 ** _Chapter Nine_**

The op was go.

After a sleepless night and a restless morning of planning, deciding, waging, diagramming, organizing, judging, arguing, refining, and resolving, the op was finally go.

"Does everyone understand what we're going to do?" Steve asked. "Run me through it. Kono, what's the first step?"

"Drive to the scene. We park close to the drop-site, but in different places. Arrive at six-forty."

"Right. Chin? What's next?"

"We gear up. Semi-automatic handguns only, except for Catherine."

"Catherine?"

"I take the sniper rifle and the heat-sensor up to a higher location. We'll communicate through earpieces."

"Kono."

"Catherine has to make it to the top in less than twenty minutes. Once she's in position, she uses the heat-sensor to determine if Danny is in the kidnapper's car. If he is, we put our weapons on the ground. Steve walks out first with the duffel. Chin and I follow."

"Then what?"

"We give them the money," said Chin. "And they give us Danny."

"And if there's any sign that they'll shoot?"

"I shoot first," stated Catherine grimly.

"Now back up. What if Danny's not in the car?"

"We bring our guns out. Shoot them in the knees, interrogate them. Make them tell us where Danny is."

"And if they run?"

"We run after them."

Now, a mere hour before the set drop-off time, the team was almost ready to roll.

"If anyone finds that earpiece," said Kono, "I will be very surprised."

"It's itchy," Steve grunted.

"Really, really itchy," altered Catherine.

"It won't be seen, though, and that's what counts," said Chin. "It blends in perfectly with your skin tone, and it's so small that none will be the wiser."

Standing side by side, Steve and Catherine observed each other in a floor length mirror. A microscopic yet highly advanced wire had been taped onto the bases of their skulls. It was necessary for their plan to work.

Even if the kidnapper's message had specifically warned against wires.

"Are you sure you need me for this?" asked Catherine, riddled with sudden doubt. "I want to stay with Grace."

"Cath, we need you to do this: for Danny. For Gracie. Please."

"Yeah, I know, okay. I'm good with it, Steve."

"Alright. Catherine, your rifle's in the Silverado," Kono reminded her, "and Steve, the duffel's in between the front seats."

"Is it packed?"

"Sure is."

"Okay," sighed Steve. He glanced once more at his reflection in the mirror: cargo pants and a black tee.

Danny would be pissed.

"Are we ready?" he asked.

He looked at Chin and Kono, both dressed in dark, tight fitting clothes to lower the chances of getting caught on things. Both wore matching expressions of immense determination.

They nodded.

Steve looked to Catherine next. Black leggings, black tank-top.

She smiled slightly.

"I'm waiting for you, stranger. Are you ready?"

Steve grabbed his keys. "Let's go."

5-0-5-0-5-0-5-0

The duffel was right where Kono had said it would be.

"Is the money all there?" asked Steve as he turned into the street. He waved at Chin and Kono, driving behind them in the red car.

"Um, do you want me to count it out right now?" asked Catherine. "I think I have enough room in my lap to organize seventeen thousand dollars' worth of hundred dollar bills. Just let me move this giant metal suitcase that contains a sniper rifle that I'm legally not supposed to own."

Steve gaped at the Danny-sized rant.

Catherine stared back. "Okay, I'm sorry!" she exclaimed finally. "I'm nervous, okay? There's a lot at stake here!"

"Cath, you're a navy lieutenant! You can handle this."

"Steve, it's just that: I am a navy lieutenant! Not a sniper! Kono's the sniper! Why can't she be the sniper?"

"You know Kono has to be with me. They'll kill Danny otherwise, even before we have a chance to save him."

"But I am not...I can't..."

"You're panicking, why are you panicking?"

"I'm not panicking! Drive, just drive, focus on your driving."

"What is the matter with you?"

"Steve...we are about to enter a very hostile situation, wearing wires that we're not supposed to wear, weapons we're not supposed to have, money we're supposed to exchange for Danny and there are just so many things that could go wrong, and-"

"Remember when you came up with half of this plan?"

Catherine sighed, remaining silent.

"Remember when you yourself volunteered to be the sniper?"

She smiled a little. "So stupid of me, right?"

"It's gonna be fine. We can do this."

No more words were needed on the way to the drop off, and feelings of ohana had never been stronger. They were united solely for one purpose: to save Danny.

To glue together their broken family.

To bring a daughter back her father.

They couldn't change what had happened, but they could and would fix it.

They _would,_ no matter what.

Minutes later, both the Silverado and Kono's Impala pulled up a few blocks away from the designated drop spot.

"Okay, Chin, you have the heat sensor?" asked Steve.

"Yup," replied the Hawaiian.

"Good. Here, Cath, take the sensor...and now's a good time to get into position."

"Copy that," she answered. Lifting up the black suitcase and the heat-seeing device, Catherine immediately began to follow a path that led to the top of a fairly large hill.

"You've got twenty minutes to get into position," warned Steve through the earpiece. "If you don't get up there in time, we're all screwed."

"That takes a load off my shoulders! Thanks, stranger," snarked Catherine.

"Sorry. Are you there yet?"

"No."

"It's five forty-five," declared Kono. "Fifteen minutes until six."

"Are you there yet, Cath?"

"For God's sake, Steve! You're like a little girl!"

"Sorry. Hurry it up, Lieutenant!"

Anxiety began to override the group as they all thought about what could happen.

What if Danny was already dead?

What if the villains spotted Catherine?

What if they noticed the cleverly camouflaged earpieces?

Normally the calm one of the group, Chin had no encouragement to offer as his mind filled with scenarios of failure. The heat-sensor breaking, the wire falling off, forgetting to put his gun down...

Next to him, Kono bit her lip and paced nervously. Chin wanted to reassure her, but honestly, he was still trying to reassure himself.

And then there was Steve.

McGarrett had become very quiet during his last altercation with Catherine, and now he was standing perfectly still, back rigid, feet planted firmly apart. His eyes were filled with such an intensity that Chin was surprised everything in the SEAL's line of vision didn't instantly explode into dust.

Kono's quiet voice broke the silence, her tone wavering with apprehensive emotion: "Six p.m."

They heard the crunch of car tires across gravel, closely followed by Catherine's voice. "They're here."

"Do you see him?" inquired Steve instantly. "Do you see Danny?"

Catherine remained silent.

"What did she say?" demanded Chin. "Steve?"

"Shh!"

He listened. "Cath? Catherine. Do you copy?"

"Oh no, oh no," Kono murmured in a panic. "Oh, shit, no."

"Steve!" Catherine's voice suddenly broke through. "Danny's not in the car! I repeat: Danny is not in the car!"

A mask of utter fury enveloped Steve's features, a fury so raw that Chin and Kono took a startled step back. "In the car, now! Catherine, I need you down here, STAT! Chin, Kono, gogogo!"

"On my way down!" Catherine cried as the cousins sprinted for the Impala.

Snatching up the duffle bag, Steve began to race to the Silverado just as Catherine slid down the path in a cloud of dust. The rifle case bounced heavily against her leg.

"C'mon, Cath!" Steve yelled.

The two bolted for the car, Steve unlocking it with his key from ten feet away.

They ran hard.

They ran harder than they ever had, harder than any marathon or on any suspect hunt.

They ran hard to save their friend.

Slamming into the front door, Steve slid into the driver's seat and revved the engine, even as Catherine hopped in beside him.

The car was doing eighty miles an hour before the navy lieutenant had her door shut.

Steve glanced in the rearview mirror and saw Chin and Kono right behind him.

 _We'll always have each other's backs_ , he heard Danny saying. _We protect each other. We're there for each other. We are the perfect definition of ohana, and I could never ask for a better team to back me up._

Unexpectedly, Steve's eyes filled with tears, and with a sudden burst of fury, he focused on the blue Chrysler in front of him, just a few feet ahead.

Those bastards knew where Danny was.

And by God, Steve was going to make sure they told him everything they knew.

No matter what it took.

He slammed his foot down on the gas, the speedometer dial wavering between ninety and niney-five.

The chase was on.

 ** _To Be Continued..._**

 _ **P.S.** Get ready for a whump session on Thursday! First we'll view Exhibit A, 'Kidnapped Jersey Detective'. Then we'll move on to Exhibit B., 'Fast Driving: What Could Possibly Go Wrong?' Stay tuned; Thanks for reading!_


	10. Chapter 10

_**A/N:** I know at the end of last chapter, I sad I was going to post on Thursday...but I'm going to post now :) Mahalo to the kind people that reviewed, followed, and/or favorited! Y'all are amazing. _

_Danny gets the first half of this chapter, and then the rest of the team gets the second half._

 _Warnings for language! _

_Hope you have a goodtime reading!_

 _ **Disclaimer:** Let it be 'duly noted' that I neither own nor claim to own any part, person, or plot line of the Hawaii Five-0 franchise._

 ** _Chapter Ten_**

Danny woke up and realized that everything was wrong.

First of all, he was in a bed.

A comfy, soft bed, with a mattress and pillows and sheets and a light blue duvet cover that reminded him of a cloudless blue sky.

Through a nearby window, moonlight filtered into the room, and Danny saw several pieces of furniture around that he was pretty sure he didn't own: a nightstand, a towering bookcase...and his walls weren't tan. Why were the walls tan?

Someone stirred beside him, and Danny nearly leapt out of the bed in shock.

He was not alone.

Cautiously, he reached out and flicked on the bedside lamp...wait.

How did he know there was a lamp there?

Light flooded the room, illuminating the delicate, porcelain face of a woman tucked serenely into the neighboring pillow. Her wavy brown hair was glossy and shiny, the perfect brows quirked in sleep and full lips partly open.

"Rachel?" Danny gasped in disbelief.

Moaning softly, his ex-wife stirred in her sleep, reaching out for him. Her fingers found his arm, and Danny jerked away in fear and confusion.

This wasn't right.

Hadn't he just been in a dungeon-like room, being tortured by a crazy band of brothers? Wasn't he on non-speaking terms with Rachel? Why was he in bed with her? Where was he?

As if sensing his rising panic, Rachel woke up. Her chocolate eyes squinting in the lamplight, she sat up. "What's wrong, Daniel?" she asked confusedly. "Did something wake you?"

"Rachel..." said Danny slowly, as if the name tasted strange on his tongue. "Where...where am I?"

"You're at home, Danny," answered Rachel. "You're at home, in bed."

"Where's Gracie?" he demanded, suddenly worried about his daughter. "Where is she?"

"In her room, sleeping...Daniel, what's gotten into you?"

He didn't answer, instead sliding out of bed to find himself in sweatpants and a grey tee.

That was strange, cuz last he remembered, he'd been wearing a dress shirt and slacks.

Shaking his head in wonder, Danny padded out of the room, not even turning around when he heard Rachel slide out of bed and follow him.

"Which door?" he whispered.

"What kind of question is that?" his ex demanded. "It's your house, Daniel! How could you not know where Grace's room is?"

Danny took a deep breath and, trying his best to ignore Rachel's very good questions, relied on instinct, grabbing a random door handle and twisting it slowly.

Silently, the door swung open.

In her bed, Grace lay on her left side, facing her parents. Her tiny form was curled up under the blankets, and she cuddled a stuffed rabbit by her cheek. Light snores rose from her open mouth.

Eyes filling up with tears, Danny swallowed hard, his body shaking with tremors as he stared at his sleeping daughter.

"I haven't see her in forever," he breathed to himself, his throat tight. "Oh, Monkey."

"Daniel," hissed Rachel worriedly, "you just had a daddy-daughter day yesterday! Don't you remember? You went to the beach at ten in the morning and didn't come back until eight at night! What do you mean you haven't seen her in ages?"

His attention solely on Grace, Danny didn't answer, taking a stunned step towards the bed, hand outstretched.

"Gracie..." he whispered.

Another step forward.

"I've missed you so much, Monkey...so, so much..."

He forgot all about Rachel, the strange house, and the feeling of not belonging. All of it faded away, and there was only Grace, only his beloved daughter that he had missed for so long.

"Gracie," he whispered again, taking another step closer. "Danno's here, Monkey."

Another step.

He lowered his hand to lay on her hair...

And pitched forward, falling suddenly into a black hole, filled with nothing but darkness.

"Danno!" Grace's shriek echoed in the dark. "Danno! Help me, I'm falling!"

Oh no. Grace couldn't be here, Grace could not be here in this horrifying blackness, plummeting to her demise...

"Grace!" Danny screamed. "Gracie, baby!"

He couldn't ask where she was.

He couldn't see her.

"Danno!" Her voice sounded further away now, more distant, and Danny's heart pounded with such force that his chest ached with a fiery intensity.

"Grace!" he shouted desperately again. "Grace!"

"Danno!" She cried once more, before a horrible thud reverberated in the pitch black.

The horrible pain in his chest ratcheted up about ten notches, and he bellowed in pure agony as he realized that Grace had hit the ground. The scream that tore from his throat was so full of grief that it did not sound human.

Grace was gone. His Baby was dead.

Because of him. He had let her fall.

He had let her fall...

Hard, firm ground solidified underneath him, and suddenly, he was lying on his back and he felt wet and everything hurt with a fierce, aching pain. Barely aware, he shuddered and trembled as tremors wracked his beaten body. A face appeared above him, but it was so blurred and unfocused that Danny couldn't tell who it was, or even if it was a man or a woman.

"Steve..." he managed in a shattered whisper. "Grace..."

"Welcome back, buddy," he heard a voice say. A voice that was definitely not Steve, or Chin, or anyone that he'd been hoping to hear.

Even though his body was in immense torment, he still recognized the male tone as Ricky Genovese.

Hopeless tears slid down Danny's face. The dream about Rachel and Grace had shaken him to the core, and after witnessing his sweet daughter die, even if it had only been a nightmare, left him emotionally drained.

Weakly, he attempted to lift his arm to smack Ricky in the face, but he only managed a slight twitch before laying still again.

Ricky chuckled. "Wouldn't try so hard to move if I were you," he said, amused. "Joe had a little too much fun holding your head underwater; we just got done resuscitating you. Might've pounded a little too hard on your chest, but...oh well! You gotta do what you gotta do...speaking of doing things, Joe! Al! It's five-fifty, get a move on!"

"I would," replied Joe sullenly, "if Al would give me my beretta."

"No! Use the .45! It's perfectly fine!"

"I don't wanna use the .45. Plus, the beretta is mine! M-I-N-E!"

"Oh for God's sake," groaned Ricky. "Just take the goddam .45, Joseph, and quit being such a fucking baby! Now get going! You're not going to be late for your own hostage-cash exchange!"

Without another word but obviously pouting, the twins left.

Affliction crippling his body and drowning out most coherent thoughts, Danny lay limply on the floor, letting waves of wailing agony crash over him. He was on the verge of letting go. He knew that Al and Joe were just going to kill Steve and the team, and even if Five-0 managed to escape, how would they find him?

And when?

Danny wasn't sure how long he could hold on.

5-0-5-0-5-0

The cars zipped along the road in quick succession: first, the Chrysler; then, the Silverado, catching up; and last, the Impala, slowly but steadily gaining.

Each driver was intent on a unanimous purpose: going faster.

In the Impala, Chin grit his teeth and shoved his foot all the way down, flooring the accelerator. With a sudden burst of speed, the Impala shot forward, jolting him and Kono in their seats. They both gasped.

Chin watched as Steve attempted to force the kidnappers off the road, but the Chrysler zoomed forward and avoided the accident. Shaking his head, Chin addressed his cousin. "Kono, I need you to pull up a map of these roads. Find me a spot where we can intercept these sons of bitches!"

"On it," Kono replied immediately. Quick to act, the rookie punched buttons on her phone and, in seconds, had an answer.

"Turn left here!" she urged suddenly. "You'll be able to cut them off at the second right, if you catch up to them! If not, we'll end up behind Steve just like we are now."

Setting his jaw in determination, Chin leaned forward, pressing all his weight onto the accelerator.

Beside him, Kono braced herself stiffly and stared straight ahead, focusing on the road. Though she trusted her cousin to refrain from ending up in a car accident, she couldn't help but feel nervous by the fast pace.

The landscape was whizzing by in a swirl of green, brown, and blue, but Chin didn't even notice. The only thing that existed was the road. The only purpose: to save his friend.

A sharp corner approached, and Chin screeched around it with a skilled twist of the wheel. Kono couldn't help a started scream, clinging tightly to the sides of her seat. "Dammit Chin!" she yelled.

"I have to do this!" Chin shouted back.

"Just keep in mind that we're no use to Danny if we get killed in this car!"

Chin grit his teeth and swerved again to wind around another turn. His cousin was right, and yet he could not bring himself to slow down. The car was speeding along so fast now, it would take more than a few seconds to stop.

And Chin knew what he had to do.

"Kono, do you trust me?" he demanded. They were nearing the final turn, ready to head off the kidnappers.

"Do you trust me?" he yelled again when his cousin hesitated to answer.

"Yes, yes I do!" she cried. "You've always had my back, brah!"

"And you, mine," Chin said.

The turn was getting closer.

He readied himself, preparing to yank the wheel harshly in order to swerve.

Ten seconds to interception.

"Hold on, cuz!"

Five seconds.

With a forceful tug, he pulled the wheel sharply to the right, and the tires squealed against the dirt road; quickly, the car straightened out and Chin slammed forward on the accelerator with all his might.

His vision zeroed in on the blue Chrysler, and he smiled. "Gotcha."

With a yell, he shot forward, smashing into the Chrysler with enough force to shove it backwards a number of feet.

There was a mighty crash, the sound of glass shattering, the ear-grating screech of metal scraping on metal. The hissing of the damaged engines, the groan of destroyed metal, the harsh smell of burning tires.

Behind the collision, the Silverado skidded to a halt, its driver sitting shell-shocked.

"No," Steve whispered hoarsely. "No, no, this can't be happening."

Because there was no movement from  
Chin and Kono's car.

There was no movement at all.

 ** _To Be Continued..._**

 _ **P.S.** Did Chin and Kono pay the price for stopping the twins? Will Steve ever find Danny? _

_Hmmm..._

 _More soon! Thanks so much for reading!_


	11. Chapter 11

**_A/N:_** _Onward!_

 _Warning: Language_

 ** _Chapter Eleven_**

Steve leapt out of the Silverado on wobbly legs.

"Chin!" he called out desperately. "Kono!"

On his heels, Catherine followed, her breathing quick and heavy. "Oh my god," she murmured. "Oh my god, oh my god."

The front of Chin's car was stabbed into the side of the kidnappers', which was on fire. Littered with dents and sporting splintered windows, both vehicles looked absolutely destroyed.

"Chin!" Steve shouted again, staggering forward towards the wreck, drunk on panic. "Kono!"

"Oh my god," said Catherine. It seemed the only phrase she could utter.

In his chest, Steve's heart thudded out a rushed, staccato beat. Blood rushed loudly in his ears, drowning out any other sound.

Steve was supposed to look out for his team. They were ohana, they were family. First Danny had gotten kidnapped, and now both Chin and Kono had paid the price...

Unable to continue further, Steve stumbled to a halt, knees quaking and eyes filling with tears. How could this have happened? This was his ohana...and he had let them down.

He had let them _die_.

Breath stuttering, Catherine rushed up and stopped beside him. Then, she bolted forward towards the wreck. Blinking to clear his vision, Steve quickly followed.

Upon reaching the cars, Catherine leaned down and let loose a sob. Chin and Kono both sat in the car, unmoving, seat belts still on. The two each had bloody gashes on their faces.

With a shaking hand, Catherine reached into the car and placed her fingers on the rookie's neck. She froze, her brown eyes widening in hope. Suddenly, she let out a victorious yell. "Kono's alive!"

Steve, on the opposite side, took Chin's pulse as well. Feeling a strong, steady beat beneath his fingertips, a breathy laugh rushed out of his lungs. "So is Chin! He's okay!"

"Now we just have to get them out," said Catherine, relief evident on her face.

It took much pulling, pushing, and prodding, but after about five minutes, both Chin and Kono were saved from the car, and they both seemed to be relatively unharmed.

Lying on the hard ground, the cousins woke at the same time.

"Ugh, my head," Kono groaned.

"As if staring at the computer footage wasn't enough to give me a headache," mumbled Chin.

In response, Steve couldn't stop a small smile from spreading across his face.

"Thank God!" he gasped. "I thought you guys were dead."

"Not a chance, boss," grinned Kono. "It's gonna take more than a teeny little car accident to get rid of us!"

With a huff of a laugh, Chin agreed. "Yeah, we're not going anywhere."

Catherine helped Kono to her feet while Steve hoisted Chin upwards. Now standing, the two then submitted to being checked by the navy SEAL.

"Your pupils are a little slow to focus," commented Steve, shining a light into Kono's eyes. "And yours," he motioned at Chin, "are also slow. Definite concussions. You feel nauseous?"

"Steve, we don't have time for this," stated Chin calmly. "We have to check if the kidnappers are alive."

Gritting his teeth, Steve frowned. "You and Kono come first."

"Steve," Chin reasoned gently, "we need to get to Danny. Look at us, we're fine, okay? We're alive. We need to make sure Danny is the same."

Steve glanced from Chin to Kono, then at Catherine. Each had a look of determination, and each meant something very special to him. But Danny was missing, and that was not okay.

The Genovese brothers thought they were smart, playing their game, snatching Danny and expecting Steve to roll over and pay up. They knew that Danny meant a lot to Steve, but...they didn't know how much.

By hurting Danny, by laying one pinkie finger on the Jersey detective, the Genovese brothers had signed their death warrants in permanent ink. And they were going to be sorry.

Face setting into a grim mask, Steve turned towards the kidnapper's car.

"He's got that look," murmured Catherine as the SEAL began to stride towards the smoking chrysler.

Weapons ready, Chin, Kono, and Catherine advanced after Steve.

Inside the vehicle, Al and Joe Genovese were conscious, bleeding and distorted. They had obviously received the full impact.

For a moment, Steve stood perfectly still, watching the two criminals suffering. On his face was an expression of total fury, sparks flashing in his eyes and anger causing his body to quake slightly.

"You're gonna die here," he whispered, his voice perfectly steady. "You're gonna die here, you sons of bitches. There's no going back."

Joe moaned and coughed. "Please," he gasped. "Call 9-1-1!"

"You think I'm gonna help you?" growled Steve darkly. "After you abducted and tortured an innocent man?"

"Convicted Ricky," choked Al. "Deserved it."

Quick as lightning, Steve's hands shot out, grabbing Al around the neck and squeezing with all his strength. "Not Danny!" he yelled in rage. "Not Danny! You don't do that to Danny Williams!"

Steve was seeing red.

He knew that was strangling Al Genovese, and he knew that Joe was begging him to stop. He knew that Chin, Kono, and Catherine was trying to pull him away from the criminals.

But he wouldn't let go.

This man had caused Danny pain.

He had taken him away from his daughter, from his friends, from his ohana.

There was no way the ohana wasn't going to get Danny back.

"Steven!" he finally heard his name being shouted. "Let go!"

It was painful, but Steve's fingers around Al's neck loosened, and the SEAL fell backwards into Chin. "He hurt Danny," Steve found himself whispering as his vision returned to normal. "He hurt Danny."

"I know, brah," answered Chin honestly. "We're going to find him."

Steve glanced at the car, realizing that both Al and Joe were unmoving and limp.

"Are they...?" he trailed off.

Kono nodded slowly.

"Did I...?"

She nodded again.

"Both of them?"

"Just Al," she murmured, and Steve looked down at his hands. He had strangled Al with those hands...

"What about Joe?"

"He's unconscious...I called an ambulance and HPD. They should be here soon, and when he recovers, he'll stand trial for all this shit."

Steve nodded, and then looked to his girlfriend.

"Three miles," said Catherine, speaking for the first time since Steve's explosion.

"What?" asked the SEAL, confused.

"Before he passed out...Joe said 'three miles.' Maybe that's a location. We go three miles up this road from where they came...and check every building."

Blinking rapidly to clear his vision, Steve nodded. "Okay, good plan."

He took a deep breath.

"Let's do this."

 ** _To Be Continued..._**

 _ **P.S.** So close to finding Danny! Hope you guys enjoyed!_

 _More coming soon..._


	12. Chapter 12

_**A/N:** I AM SO SORRY FOR NOT UPDATING SOONER! This combination of school and work has knocked me off my feet, and I'm really sorry that I haven't been able to post another chapter in awhile! Thank you to those who have stayed with me! _

_Reviewers, thank you! Due to your comments, I made some big changes to the upcoming chapters and have hopefully made them better. Mahalo!_

 _ **Chapter Twelve**_

Because Kono's car had been damaged in the crash, the cousins and Catherine piled into the Silverado, Steve at the wheel. The cousins and Catherine all kept a rather heavy silence at first, shocked at seeing their boss truly lose his temper moments before; they wondered what Danny would do when he found out...

"God we need to find him," whispered Chin to his cousin. "We are really falling apart here." As much as he was loathe to admit it, it was undeniably a fact.

"I'm afraid what will happen if we don't find Danny," Catherine joined the conversation quietly. "Steve's not thinking clearly...he won't listen..."

"Keep an eye out for any possible locations once we get three miles out," said Steve loudly, not noticing the hushed voices discussing him. He drove fast but not ridiculously so; after all, his team needed to be able to see outside the windows.

"Uh, Steve, I hate to tell you this," began Chin," but I'm seeing two of everything, so I don't think I'll be of much help." He knew from experience that it was better to speak up than to hide it.

"Me too, boss," admitted Kono, abashed. "We're pretty useless right now."

"You're not useless," answered Steve instantly. "You're not. Just make sure your weapons are loaded...and make sure we have the money. Cath, I need you to keep a sharp eye out."

The three nodded.

As Chin and Kono double-checked the duffle and supplied each other's weapons with ammo, Catherine kept her face glued to the window, dutifully scanning the surrounding area as fast and carefully as she could.

In the front seat, Steve sat ramrod straight, knuckles white on the steering wheel. Things were hotting up fast, and he knew, just knew, that if they didn't get to Danny fast, they would be too late. And Steve couldn't let that happen. He couldn't let Grace down, couldn't confront the little girl and tell her that Danno wasn't coming home ever again.

He just couldn't.

"I'm assuming we're in that three-mile range," observed Chin. "Look really close, Cath."

"I am!" Catherine snapped, anxiety lacing her tone. "I'm looking, I'm looking! So far, nothing but random trees and fields!"

"Remember, it's a secluded building," said Kono unnecessarily. "A small, hidden house, maybe. Like a shack, or a shed, or even a bunker-"

"I know what a secluded building looks like, Kono!" cried Catherine. "I got this!"

"I'm sorry!" exclaimed the rookie, squinting her eyes shut. Only Chin noticed the tears of stress and pain slip out from her eyelids. "You okay, cuz?" he prodded gently, quietly, so no one else could hear.

"Yeah," Kono whispered.

"Don't play this game with me," he retorted mildly. "Are you nauseous?"

Dark brown eyes opening to meet Chin's, the woman nodded shakily.

Comfortingly, Chin rubbed his cousin's back. "It'll be okay, Kono. Just take it easy for awhile. Rest up until we get there."

Which, it turned out, wasn't too long at all.

"Stop stop stop!" Catherine yelled suddenly.

Abruptly, Steve slammed on the brakes and the truck screeched to a halt, a few feet away from an old, wooden house tucked into a small grove of palm trees. Everyone in the vehicle was violently thrown forward.

"Everyone okay?" demanded Steve.

"All good, boss," replied Kono. She ignored the look that Chin gave her.

"Good. Cath, is there anyone in the house?"

"I've got two human forms," responded Catherine immediately, staring at the readings on the heat sensor. "One's standing, one's sitting in a chair. I'm gonna say Ricky Genovese...and Danny."

"We've got the right place!" exclaimed Chin, sounding somewhat amazed. "Cath, I didn't doubt you for a second!"

"You're so kind, Mister Kelly," snarked Catherine. "I never doubted me either."

"Are we going in?" asked Kono, holding her assault rifle close.

Steve took a deep breath, checking to see if his own weapon, a submachine gun, was duly loaded. When he saw that it was, he glanced up at his team, his ohana.

Chin and Kono wore matching expressions of resoluteness, and as they gripped their twin rifles, they looked very imposing indeed. Catherine balanced her own machine gun on her knee and stared at him with her gorgeous brown eyes. Gorgeous, but deadly.

They were just as ready as he was to risk their lives for their friend.

And Steve couldn't have been more grateful.

"Yeah, we're going in. Cath, Kono. Go around the back. Chin, you and me'll go in front. Be as quiet as you can; we're gonna make use of the element of surprise. We keep each other's backs in there," he said, voice throaty. "I don't know how this is gonna go down. But I do know that we are gonna come outta there with Danny, and we're all gonna come out alive."

"We gotcha, brah," said Chin quietly, but firmly.

"Okay, boss," said Kono trustingly.

"We're in this together," said Catherine with a nod.

And with that, they climbed out of the Silverado.

5-0-5-0-5-0-5-0

When they reached the front door, Steve signaled for the girls to depart. Instantly, Catherine and Kono made for the opposite side of the tiny house, disappearing from sight.

Carefully, partially crouched, Steve and Chin shuffled towards the front door of the building. Steve reached out an admittedly trembling hand and turned the knob.

It gave the tiniest of squeaks, but in Steve's ears, it sounded like someone had screamed into a microphone. He froze, petrified.

He remained still like that until Chin insistently prodded his shoulder. Swallowing thickly, Steve continued to turn the knob, and was relieved when it did not squeal again. Bit by bit, the knob rotated until the SEAL was able to slowly push the door open. Creaking and groaning, the old wood protested and Steve inwardly winced. However, Chin's encouraging presence behind him prompted him to open the door all the way. He poked his head into the tiny front room, glanced left, then right. Seeing no one, he stepped inside, momentarily pausing when the ancient wood floor complained loudly.

Again, Steve froze.

"...better pick up right away, you idiot!" he heard a voice ranting from below his feet. He motioned to Chin to cease movement.

"Either you or Al answer your phone, or I'm gonna go ahead and kill this guy and leave!" the angry male tone continued. "And if you're dead, fuck you for not getting my money! You were never good for anything anyway!"

After that, the man (Steve assumed it was Ricky Genovese) stopped talking. He had hung up the phone.

"Listen up, Detective," he heard more murmuring, and Steve's heart leaped at the mention of his partner. "If Al and Joe aren't here in the next three minutes, you're gonna get a bullet in the head, just like the rest of your little task force. Yeah, they're dead, you'd better believe it."

 _Danny's right there!_ Steve's mind screamed. _He's right there!_

Every instinct wailed to storm the basement and take out Genovese, but then Catherine and Kono, holding the duffel bag, appeared from the back room. And without thinking, Kono took a step forward, and the floor creaked very, very loudly beneath her feet.

The entire team became statues, all staring at Kono with wide eyes.

"Ah, Commander McGarrett!" came Ricky Genovese's voice from the basement. "So good of you to visit! Come on down, hm?"

Steve hesitated. "Just you, Commander, not your big impressive gun and not any of your friends. And if they follow you, Danno's dead!" Ricky laughed. "Oh, and bring the money, will you please? Good boy."

Steve glanced at Kono. He motioned for the bag. For a moment, the rookie paused, then handed it to her boss. Steve nodded in thanks and then handed his submachine gun to Chin. "Do what he says," he commanded gruffly. "I'll be up in a second."

"We've got your back, Steve," replied Catherine.

He stared at her, trying his best to send her a message through his eyes: _I love you._ He must have succeeded, because in the next second, he was reading the same thing from her: _I love you, too._

Steve descended into the basement.

With each step, the light grew dimmer and dimmer until he could hardly see. Without his gun, he was wary and extremely cautious. The duffel bag felt heavier than it really was, dragging his arm down and making it ache. Steve pushed aside his worries and continued downwards.

Upon reaching the bottom, he finally spotted Danny. Steve's mouth fell partially open and he stumbled back as if he'd run into a wall.

Danny looked worse than he had in the pictures. So, so much worse.

His face was decorated with ugly splashes of yellow, green, and brown, bruises in all stages of healing. Cuts of all sizes were sprinkled over his cheeks, forehead, and chin. Blood was matted into Danny's blonde hair, oozing from a deep, reopened wound on the right side of his skull. Torn and ripped, Danny's once white shirt was now streaked with mud, grime, blood, and sweat. A weepy, tender-looking cut ran across Danny's heaving chest, and his arms and legs were cruelly tied to a chair to keep him in place. Barely conscious, Danny's head lolled on his chest.

Steve swallowed back bile. "Danny," he gasped. "Danny, can you-"

"Oh, quit it!" snapped Ricky, annoyed.

Startled, Steve only then noticed the oldest and only surviving Genovese brother standing directly behind the Jersey detective's chair. Holding a semi-automatic pistol with one hand and stroking Danny's hair mindlessly with the other, Ricky smirked at Steve, but a malicious gleam twinkled dangerously in his eyes. He pointed the gun at Danny's head, and Steve tensed, if possible, more.

"So, you got away from Al and Joe, didja? How'd you kill 'em? Shoot them? Run 'em over with your fancy car?"

"You don't even care," managed Steve after a second. "They didn't mean anything to you."

"I'd like to say we shared some good times," sighed Ricky, "but...there was never really a connection or anything, ya know? And they were pretty stupid...funny, occasionally. Creative, five days out of seven. But smart? No. Yet, they were my brothers, Commander. You know what that connection's like, hmm?" His fingers lazing over Danny's head turned into a fist, grasping harshly at Danny's hair. The detective let out a pained whine and lifted his head slightly. Still, his eyes didn't open.

"Then why'd you send them to get your money?" asked Steve, focusing on Danny. "Why didn't you just come yourself?"

"I suppose I wanted to give them a chance," mused Ricky. "And they failed. Good thing I'm still here, right?" He bumped the gun forcefully into Danny's side, causing Steve to take a step forward and the Jersey detective to cough harshly. Immediately, the gun was at Danny's head again. Steve froze.

Ricky chuckled. "Now, give me my money," he demanded, eyes turning hard. "Give me my money, or I shoot your detective."

Steve threw Ricky the duffel bag.

Danny groaned.

"Ah!" smiled Ricky, opening the bag. "You have an impeccable sense of timing, Detective!"

"S'eve," Danny slurred badly. "No...m' fine...don' give 't to 'im..."

"All looks to be in order, Commander," said Ricky, satisfied. "Although I wonder how on earth you managed to collect all this...very good! And now..." he raised his head, smiling brightly. "I have enough bullets in this gun for both of you."

Steve's eyes widened, and he only had time to leap forward as the gun discharged into Danny's leg. He howled in agony and Steve was about to tackle Ricky when two guns went off at once.

 ** _To Be Continued..._**

 _ **P.S.** Again, apologies for the horrible hiatus. Life has been busy, but that's no excuse. I'll try an update more regularly in the future. Have a good day! :) _


	13. Chapter 13

_**A/N:** Thanks to all who left supportive and encouraging reviews, as well to all who followed/favorited! It really means a lot to me._

 _Mahalo!_

 _ **Reminder:** Not a death-fic._

 ** _Chapter Thirteen_**

So many people were talking at once, it was hard to distinguish what was being said.

"Is everyone okay?" inquired one voice, that of a woman.

"Holy shit I can't believe you hit him!" exclaimed a male tone.

"Steve! Are you okay? Chin, is Genovese dead?"

"Hold on Cath, I'll check."

As Steve's awareness slowly returned, he realized that he was lying on the ground. Pain reverberated dimly in his chest, and his head hurt. He blinked owlishly, the face of his girlfriend appearing before him.

"Are you okay?" she questioned breathlessly. Steve grunted, sitting up. "I'm fine." He glanced down, noting the indentation of a bullet in his Kevlar vest. "It didn't go through," he calmed Catherine. "It's didn't penetrate, it's fine."

"Genovese is dead," announced Chin grimly. "Nice shot, cuz. I don't know how you did that with a concussion."

Kono grinned. "Thanks."

Her smile faltered as she saw Danny sitting limply in the chair. "Is...is he okay...?"

Steve remained seated on the cold ground; his legs were still too wobbly to walk, so instead he scooted across the floor to his friend. "Hey Danno," he whispered. "Can you hear me?"

The change in Danny's pained, uneven breathing was barely perceptible, yet present. Underneath his eyelids, his eyes shifted. His agonized groan made Steve wince.

"This is Chin Ho Kelly with Five-0," he heard the Hawaiian speaking sharply. "I need an ambulance at-where the hell are we? Latch on to my phone's signal and get down here right away! We've got an officer down and one more with a moderate concussion-"

"Two, don't forget yourself," warned Kono.

"-fine, two moderate concussions and another officer took a bullet to the vest. Get the paramedics and HPD down here now! Thanks."

As Chin finished the call, Steve's hands fluttered over Danny's body, hesitant to touch. Finally, he placed a gentle palm against the detective's forehead, smacking his other hand over the gushing bullet wound in his friend's thigh. "Danny," he said again. "Danno, can you open your eyes for me? Lemme see those baby blues, huh?"

Even beaten and bleeding, Danny still managed a derisive frown. "S'per SEAL," he croaked hoarsely through cracked, dry lips. "Sh' up 'bout m'eyes."

Steve managed a tiny smile, though the slurring of his friend's words was worrying him immensely.

"Kay Danno, I need you to tell me what hurts, buddy," he demanded while Chin began to cut the zip-ties from the detective's wrists.

"Kay? Jenna Kay?" mumbled Danny incoherently. "Jenna..."

"What? Danny, Jenna's dead...she's been dead for a while..."

Danny choked out a sob and tears slid down his cheeks. "Why...ev'rything hurts...hurts, Steve..."

"Okay, Danny, calm down, man. Calm down, you're fine, you're fine. Breathe with me buddy, okay? Breathe in...out..."

Danny couldn't seem to open his eyes all the way, but even so, he was clearly focused on Steve and trying his best to control his breathing. He wheezed and coughed wetly, and Steve's heart plummeted. However, he taped an encouraging smile onto his lips. "You're doing good, Danno, you're doing good! Keep breathing with me, in, out. In...and out. Good, good, in...out..."

"Got the ties off," Chin said just before Danny's body pitched forward. Reacting instinctively, Steve's arms shot out and wrapped around his injured friend. Carefully, he lowered his partner to the ground. "Hey, hey Danno, you with me?"

Danny moaned weakly.

"How's it feel to be outta that chair, huh?" Steve continued. "Get some blood flow going here, right?" He instantly regretted those words, seeing as Danny already had plenty of blood flowing out of his multiple wounds.

Lashes fluttering, Danny didn't offer a response, only coughed thickly.

It was then that Steve remembered he had to try and fix the wound on Danny's chest. "Ah, shit," he breathed, seeing dark red leaking sluggishly from the gash. Without any first aid supplies, the SEAL was left to his own creativity and navy training to decide how to stop the blood flow. It only took seconds for him to unfasten his vest to rip a segment of his own sweat stained shirt and tie it around Danny's torso. Another strip of shirt went around his leg. It wasn't perfect, and it wasn't ideal, but it was something.

"We're doing good, Danno, doing real good!" Steve encouraged. "Great, in fact. I'm so proud of you, babe; staying awake, right? Good, good job, Danny."

He swallowed hard against a tight ball in his throat when Danny's eyelids slipped closed another centimeter, though he was trying so, so hard to keep them open.

Somehow, his fingers found Steve's, and he grasped the SEAL's hand with a pitiful amount of strength that only reminded Steve that they didn't have much time.

"We've gotta get out of here," he said to Chin, Kono, and Catherine.

"I'll help you lift him," offered Chin, rushing forward. Together, the two men hoisted Danny upwards. Steve draped the detective's left arm over his own shoulder, while Chin took Danny's weight on the right. Danny let loose a barely audible groan and shivered.

"Fever," stated Steve grimly. "It's gotta be at over eighty degrees in here."

"What are we gonna do about Genovese?" asked Catherine.

"I say we leave him here for now," Kono spat with contempt for the criminal. "We'll let Max cut him apart later."

"I like your way of thinking," Chin grunted as he shifted Danny's weight on his shoulder. "Jeez, for a short guy, Danny's really heavy."

It was worrying when the normally fiery Jersey detective offered no retort, exclamation, or snide remark of any kind.

"Let's get out of here," said Kono, voicing everyone's thoughts.

In sync, Steve and Chin stepped forward, Danny's feet dragging across the ground. He was a mere touch away from passing out, and Steve worried that if he did, the man might never wake up again.

"Stay with us, Danny, stay with us," commanded the SEAL. "We need you, buddy. Gracie needs you. Charlie needs you, I need you. Chin and Kono and Catherine need you, Rachel needs you, Max needs you, Jerry needs you, Captain Grover needs you...Doris, Joe, Duke, they all need you. They all need you, we all need you. Fight it, partner! C'mon, Danny, you need to get through this, get through this for Grace, Charlie, for me. For Chin and Kono and Catherine, for Rachel and Max and Jerry, Doris, Joe, Duke, Grover..."

By the time Steve had stopped rambling names, they were almost halfway up the stairs and Danny was only just hanging on to consciousness. "Come on, buddy, just a little longer...Chin, how much longer 'till the paramedics get here?"

"Five minutes?" Chin guessed. "Four? Maybe six."

"You hear that, partner? Help'll be here soon, and they'll get you on some of the good stuff, huh? How's that sound? Good?"

"Hnnh," mumbled Danny.

It was a struggle, but at last they made it outside, and together, Steve and Chin lowered their injured friend to the ground. Catherine and Kono stood nearby, wanting to help but not sure what they could do.

"You're gonna be fine, brah," assured Kono, though her eyes betrayed her immense concern. "You're gonna stick around to finish those surfing lessons that we started so long ago!"

"Yeah, I'd love to see you and Gracie on the waves," said Catherine with a smile, trying not to shiver with fear.

"You hear that, Danno? Still got lots to do!" Steve whispered. He patted Danny's cheek with his hand. "C'mon, buddy, just a few more minutes."

On the ground, Danny quaked with fever and his breath kept hitching. Occasionally, a cough would rattle his bones and he would squeeze his eyes shut in pain as crocodile tears rolled down his face. Small, weak cries of distress constantly escaped his lips, and it was all Steve could do to keep from crying himself. The fact that Danny Williams was hurting like this was so wrong that it was almost impossible for the SEAL to comprehend.

If he lost Danny, if he lost his partner, his best friend, his brother...

What would he do?

"Danno, stay with me, buddy," commanded Steve, applying more force to his words. "Please. You don't get to go like this. You don't get to go without me!"

Weakly, Danny grasped Steve's hand as if to comfort him. That would be just like the detective, to help others when he himself was dying...

"You're not going anywhere, buddy," Steve whispered again, holding Danny's shivering body close to him.

From a few feet away, Chin, Kono, and Catherine watched with tears in their eyes. They, too, were inwardly praying that Danny survived this. Maybe they weren't as close to him as Steve was, but Danny was still their brother, and they could not bear to think about what life would be like without him.

"I promised Gracie, Danno!" blurted Steve suddenly. "I promised Gracie I'd get you home alive! Hang on, hang on for Gracie, Danno. Hold on for Gracie if you won't hang on for me."

"Hang on," Danny wheezed, eyes creeping open a little with difficulty. "Grace."

"That's it, buddy, come on, you can do this," Steve kept up his constant encouragement. "Please, Danny. You can hold on for Gracie."

"Can't," Danny choked, fighting for breath. Blood spilled up and out of his mouth. At the time, Steve didn't register that he was crying, and yet it was true.

"Yes, yes you can Danno! You can, you can, for Gracie you can. You can for Gracie. Come on, Danny, for Gracie, huh?"

Danny panted and shuddered, battling for each and every intake of air. His grip on Steve's fingers tightened momentarily, and then loosened. Steve wished he was imagining the bluish tint to Danny's lips, but he knew he wasn't. No, it was all to real and Steve just wished that this was all a bad dream.

"Danno," he whispered as his friend's fingers went limp. "Danny."

The detective coughed shortly, crimson oozing up in his throat. He was drowning in it, drowning in his own blood, his body shutting down at last without permission.

He was so, so done.

"Danny," said Steve again, his heartrate plummeting as Danny's eyes, usually so bright and alive, dulled and slipped closed.

"No," Steve hissed. "No, nonononono. Danny!"

Danny's face was too pale, the smudges under his eyes too dark, the blood oozing out from between his lips too red, the bruises on his skin too prominent.

Every sense was on high-alert, and that's what allowed Steve to clearly observe these details.

And that's what allowed him to see that his best friend, his brother, had stopped breathing.

 _ **To Be Continued...**_

 _ **P.S.** That wasn't in the original plot...uhhh..._

 _See the reminder after the A/N: this is not a death-fic! Not all is as it seems!_

 _More coming soon! It might take me awhile to get the upcoming chapters done, but this story is gonna get finished!_

 _Hope you enjoyed!_


	14. Chapter 14

_**A/N:**_ _Just watched the Season 6 finale. IT WAS SO GOOD! Except the ENDING. I was so shocked that Danny didn't get any credit for anything! And then when Steve mentioned the thing about Charlie growing up to hate him? Season 7 better compensate for the utter lack of Danny in general. Ok...I'm done...for now...*cries*_

 _Anyways...thanks for any reviews/favorites/follows! I'm sorry I haven't had time to respond personally to reviews, but your words do make a difference and I do take to heart any advice that you have._

 _Ok, now this chapter includes CPR and other things which I know pretty much nothing about except what I could gather from google...apologies to any medical experts if the stuff in here is silly or wrong!_

 _Warnings for language in this chapter!_

 _Reminder: Not a permanent death fic!_

 ** _Chapter Fourteen_**

"DANNY, NO!" was the only thing he heard as Kono screamed in the background. He sat in shock, silent for a moment, completely still as Chin yelled, "Somebody help him!" and suddenly Catherine was there, kneeling on the ground, her face close to Danny's.

She breathed for him.

Once. Twice.

"Steve!" she yelled, but the man didn't register that, not when Danny was laying like a corpse in front of him, not when, moments ago, he'd been talking. Not when every stupid argument they'd ever had was flashing by at top-speed in his brain. Not after all he'd done to get him back.

Not now.

Not Danny.

And then Steve was back, pumping Danny's chest with all the fear he felt, willing his friend to open his sky-blue eyes and just breathe, breathe the air and see the stars and walk on the beach and complain about getting sand in his shoes and about every other thing that made Hawaii a popular tourist attraction.

He wanted to say so many things, wanted to speak and yet he couldn't, because Danny wasn't breathing and he wasn't moving and he wasn't _there_.

A minute passed, then two. Steve and Catherine worked together, the SEAL grinding his hands into Danny's unmoving chest and the lieutenant pushing air into his motionless mouth.

Two minutes.

Three.

Panting, Catherine sat back. "Steve," she began, and that was all the SEAL needed to know what she was going to stay next.

"No," he objected instantly, continuing to administer CPR. "No, Catherine. Don't give up on him. Not Danny. Not now."

He understood. She was tired. It had been three long minutes. Danny wasn't responding.

But at the same time, he _didn't_ understand. They couldn't stop. Stopping wasn't an option. This was _Danny_ , and godammit, he was going to _live_.

And then, Steve had an idea. Maybe the best idea of his life, and there was only one thing to it.

"Switch," he whispered.

Catherine blinked. "What?"

"SWITCH!" Steve shouted, and then they were both scrambling to take eachother's place.

It was only logical: Catherine was tired of breathing for Danny, Steve would take her place.

He would do anything, anything at all, to make Danny alive...

He breathed for Danny.

In his head, he heard the detective shout, _You sonofabitch! You kissed me?! What is your problem?!_ and in another situation, that thought would have made him laugh out loud.

But Danny was dying, slowly, and Steve wouldn't have it.

"C'mon, Danno," he panted in between breaths. "Get your body to fucking work. Breathe, buddy, please, just breathe for me!"

Still no response, and Steve was bordering on hysterical. "Come on, come on..." he kept repeating, and before he knew what was happening, someone was pulling on his arms and dragging him away from Danny, and his eyes zeroed in on his friend, still too pale and limp for any sane person's approval. In the distance, he heard someone screaming, "NO! LEMME GO, YOU SON OF A BITCH! HE'S MY FRIEND! NO! DANNO! PLEASE!"

It hit him hard: the person shouting was him.

Suddenly, Steve's body decided that days spent worrying about Danny, trying to find him, coming up with a stressful plan and then the fear of losing Chin and Kono, the conversation with Ricky and the discovery of his partner in such a condition, was all too much. In five seconds, his legs weakened, his head spun, and his eyes rolled back in his head.

And Steve McGarrett fell into a dead faint.

5-0-5-0-5-0

He regained consciousness in the ambulance, immediately resuming his demands.

"Danny...stay with me Danny, don't go, please don't leave me here..."

An unfamiliar, female face hovered over him. "Lieutenant Commander McGarrett?" she said. "Can you hear me?"

"Where's Danny?" asked Steve, fighting to sit up.

"Steve, hold still," begged another voice, and he was able to make out Catherine's hazy figure next to him.

The paramedic stubbornly held him down. "Stay," she commanded.

Instead, Steve battled harder. "Where-is-he?" the SEAL growled, glaring at the platinum blonde woman. She frowned, but her eyes softened. "He's in the other ambulance, Commander. He's in good hands."

Catherine nodded emphatically in agreement.

"Is he...is he..." he took a deep breath. "Before you came, I was administering CPR..."

"I'm sorry, I don't know," said the paramedic, and Catherine's mouth remained closed.

"Thanks for being so helpful," Steve spat, and he instantly wished he hadn't said that, but he was worried about Danny.

Actually, he was beyond worried.

He was downright _terrified_.

If his partner died...

And that's where the thoughts ended. That was the edge of the cliff, the drop-off in the pool, the line that he dared not cross.

He would not go there.

He _couldn't_.

As his heart raced faster and faster and he began to hyperventilate, Steve felt an unwelcome, uncomfortable prick in his arm, and then warmth flowed through his veins, bringing with it a wave of darkness.

Steve slept.

5-0-5-0-5-0

The entire Five-0 task force spent the night at the hospital.

Chin and Kono, with their concussions, were forced to stay for observation, while Steve lay unconscious, a bandage wrapped around his bruised torso. In the meantime, Catherine bounced from bedside to bedside, waiting for her teammates to awaken and desperately trying to get information on Danny. Because she had ridden in the ambulance with her boyfriend, Catherine had not seen Danny since the paramedics had arrived after Ricky Genovese's death. When they'd pulled up at the hospital, Catherine had allowed Steve to be taken away for obervation, then had tracked down Chin and Kono, who were both getting settled in hospital rooms and hadn't seen Danny either, and then had raced after a number of nurses and doctors, all of whom had no idea what she was talking about.

At last, she began to panic and grabbed the arm of a middle-aged male doctor with glasses, whose black hair was just beginning to grey. "Detective Daniel Williams: where is he?" she barked. The doctor squinted and frowned at her. "Williams? From Five-0? He's in there," he answered, waving his hand mindlessly towards a nearby door. "He's in surgery. They're repairing the punctured lung...who are you?"

"Catherine Rollins, Five-0," said Catherine. "I was with the people that found him."

"Doctor Justin Murray," introduced the man. "I understand he wasn't breathing when the ambulance arrived..."

"Yes." She was anxious. "Is he...?"

"We were able to get him breathing again, but he's on a machine and will be for some time," replied the doctor gently. "He's injured badly, and I'm worried about the trauma inflicted to his leg. Right now, it's impossible to tell whether or not he'll have emotional issues; we'll have to wait for him to wake up."

Troubled, Catherine nodded. "Thank you, Doctor Murray," she said faintly. "Can you tell me where to find Lieutenant Commander Steven McGarrett?"

5-0-5-0-5-0-5-0

Steve woke with a start the following afternoon, surprising Catherine, who sat next to the bed in an uncomfortable orange, plastic chair. "Danny!" the SEAL gasped immediately, sitting ramrod straight. Confused, desperate eyes met Catherine's, and the woman was struck by how concerned Steve was for his friend.

"Calm down, Steve," she soothed gently, placing a hand on her boyfriend's shoulder. "Don't worry."

An expression of complete and utter incredulity spread across Steve's face. "'Don't worry'", he echoed. "Cath, last time I saw Danny, he wasn't breathing! I don't know if he's still alive! I am going to fucking worry!"

"Well, Danny's tough, he'll pull through," said Catherine, unfazed. She understood that Steve was afraid out of his mind, and she took none of her boyfriend's exclamations to heart. "Danny is alive," she finished with a wavering smile. "So I don't want you to be quite so concerned anymore."

"Is he okay?" Steve demanded. "Any long-lasting injuries? Will he be okay?"

"Well," said Catherine, taking a deep breath. "The Genovese morons really did a number on him. They beat him almost to the point of no return, Steve. He had multiple broken ribs and a punctured lung that, I guess, was made worse when we lifted him up to move him. He's got a hell of a concussion, and they're not sure if there'll be any long-term effects from that cuz he hasn't woken up yet. The wound on his chest was infected, and the bullet in his leg was removed a bit ago. He's dehydrated and malnourished...and the doctors say it looks like he was, um, held under water."

Steve took it all in silently, his face taking on an emotionless mask that Catherine found to be very disturbing. "Why," the SEAL asked calmly. "Why would they hold him under water, and beat him up, if they were just going to kill him later?"

"Because they're mindless sons of bitches," answered Catherine. "They got pleasure out of inflicting pain and terror on him. And yet, they're dumb as a box of rocks."

"A box of rocks?" repeated Chin, poking his head in. Like his co-worker, he looked as if he hadn't slept in days, but a bounce was in his step, as if a heavy weight had been lifted from his shoulders. "Where'd you hear that, Cath?"

"What's going on?" asked Steve, not giving the lieutenant a chance to answer. "What happened?"

Chin smiled a truly brilliant smile. "Danny's out of surgery; he's out cold right now, but the doctors say he has a good chance. He looks like shit, but he's alive and breathing."

"What?" Steve gasped. "But...Catherine said he just went in to surgery!"

"It's been a few hours," replied Catherine. "The doctors had to knock you out cuz you were struggling too much."

Steve was in a tizzy. "But...but..."

"But what?" said Chin. "This is good news! Doctor Murray said his chances are positive!"

Steve shook his head, still trying to comprehend what was happening. Images of Danny, limp and unmoving, were still flashing through his head, and now Chin was telling him Danny had good chances?

"Take me to him," Steve demanded. "Take me to Danny _now_."

 ** _To Be Continued..._**

 _P.S. I had myself convinced that this was going to be the last chapter, but I guess there's going to be more. Funny, right?_

 _Thanks for reading!_


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